Winter's lesson

Mother nature forced me to pause for a few days to dig out from recent storms that left close to two feet of snow and a need for a lot of shoveling. I welcomed the respite from months of speaking and travel to just enjoy this winter wonderland in all its beauty. Nature always has a way of reminding me how important it is to take in her wonder and return me to a more calm self.

Winter storms have a way of slowing the pace of life as our list of "need to accomplish" becomes impossible, leaving us to be with what is. Often it takes a forced break from our everyday hustle and bustle for us to realize that we have not been spending enough time with ourselves. Soon enough the roads are cleared and we are once again be faced with all the distractions conspiring to prevent us from living in the present moment. For me, I hope this chilly reminder will allow me to see things as they are.

As I left to rejoin the world today it did not take long for my mind to become wrapped up in the day's events and issues. The thermometer read -14 degrees as I left for the office, thankful that the heater in the truck was narrowly winning the battle for comfort. Just before arriving at the office, I was once again offered a little reminder of the greatness of nature when I spotted a coyote chasing a squirrel who narrowly escaped becoming breakfast as it scurried up a tree. The coyote was nice enough to pause for a picture before moving on to look for another meal.

May we each be reminded that no matter how bad we believe things are, there is still greatness in the world waiting for us to experience it. Our journey in this life is short leaving us to choose the things that matter the most.

A hint of winter

Overnight, Mother Nature left a hint that winter is just around the corner. I awoke this morning to see the trees blanketed with snow from an early season storm. Driving into my office to catch up on the pile of correspondence needing to be dealt with, I could not help being caught up in the wonder of how fast the seasons change.

Regardless of whether or not I am ready, winter is coming complete with snow shovels and ice melt. I am counting on the weather service to be correct in saying that the next few weeks will return the region to warmer weather allowing me to harvest some of nearly ripe tomatoes still hanging on the vines.

Embrace the changing seasons. Each has so much to offer us if we just pay attention. If you would like a little snow, I should have an entire driveway full ready for you to take in about a month. You can even use my shovel. :)