THE LIFE IN THIS MOMENT

We've got a bit of snow here in Maine. More than one foot has fallen in the last three days. Mary Beth and I have shoveled over and over again just trying to keep the steps and some paths cleared so the dogs can go outside - which they don't really want to do anyway.

It's good exercise shoveling snow - aerobic and weight lifting. One great pleasure for me is seeing how nature takes over and the humans have to give in to it. Everything slows down. This morning while we were out clearing the driveway there were loads of people outside walking down the street and shoveling their own walkways. A sense of community returns that I have witnessed after hurricanes and tornadoes while living in Florida. People like to go out and survey the results of mother nature's angry breath.

Last night on Facebook I read Loring Wirbel's post from Colorado. He said that they had just had thunder, lightening, and a snowstorm. A bit unusual, yes. Can we agree that climate change is real? We screw around with nature enough and things start to go wobbly all over the place?

Fortunately our shoveling strategy of regular, and seemingly futile, clearing during the storm seemed to pay off this morning when we went out to survey the damage. Our long narrow paths that we had cleared for the dogs, and the way to the woodpile, were slightly evident to the eye. When we began re-clearing those spots we found the snow there to be much lighter and easier to move.

My biggest challenge was to go up on the second floor wooden landing to use the roof rake. We learned the hard way last year that if this is not done then serious and dangerous ice jams form on the edge of the roof and can lead to leaks. (We have one leak already in the dining room and have yet to figure out the source of it.) After the pile of snow is raked off the roof then I had to clear it from the porch landing, steps, and from the ground below. At one point I could barely lift my arms over my head.

Some of our Florida friends (hey Julie...hey Wendy) might wonder why we go through all this - but is anyone safe these days from the coming ravages of climate change?

Last night I looked out the bedroom window at the street light as the wind swirled the snow beneath it in what was nothing more than a glorious work of art. Then I noticed the holiday card perfect picture of an old house down the street covered with snow and the tall pine trees just beyond it decked in their white beauty. One lonesome light was on at the house and seemed to offer a pleading reminder that there was some sign of life amongst the raging furry of the wind and snow.

In that moment of wonder and solitude a thought came to me saying not to be afraid of it all. It is just the life that surrounds us today.

It's warming up a bit now and drops of water are falling from the roof and snow on the ground is becoming wet and slushy. The weather reports say more snow is likely tonight.