Pete pointed out to me this morning that I’ve spent most of my winters snow bound, meaning that I’ve only lived in snowless places for just a few winters. Offhand, one snowless winter was spent in New Zealand, another in North Carolina. I think I spent two more snowless winters in South Carolina. The two years that I lived in Oregon were, I think, relatively snowless.

I recall that the winters in South Carolina went by really quickly, or at least this is my perception of things. In both instances, the living was easy. I didn’t have to bundle up in the winter months. I just took off out the front door, or in the instance of New Zealand, clambered out of my tent and prepared for yet another day of bicycle touring.

Head Start teachers check out books

I grew up in Rochester, New York and went to college in NY, NH, AK, and WI, all wintery places. The question is, did I intentionally gravitate to these colder places or was my being there a matter of happenstance? I think it was the latter. I was not averse to living in cold, snowy climates because this simply was what I knew. So when the option of living in such places at various stages of my life materialized, I acted upon them.

This past month I repeatedly questioned why I have continued to persist in living in what in some ways are climatically inhospitable places. We had below zero temps the entire month, with no let up. I was, of course, the entire time, worried for all our animals.

The now warmer temperatures are a dog send, but in place of the cold we have snow, which brings its own problems – Pete is now going to have to plow, and I am going to have to shovel. And I must, when heading to the trails, deal with snowplows, sanders, and graders. And once on the trails, I must deal with snowmobilers.

I’d gladly be a snowbird, spend my winters in New Mexico, and my summers here. This would be idyllic. The only drawback would be finding a good winter home for Tinni, one with a heated barn, and a doting owner who’d walk him every day.

This isn’t going to happen this winter. So I am instead keeping myself focused on the tasks at hand, which is taking care of animals and the book project. The book project – again, build it and they will come. Today, one of the brighter days in the history of the Bright Lights Book Project. My friend Hillary showed up for a bit and we chatted. I had all the kid’s books in the outer room, so when Alicia Fields and her Head Start colleagues showed up, I was ready for them. I thought they’d take more books than they did—but then they also took numerous books from the library.

Then Bob Winckler showed up with eight boxes of books in the back of his car. The boxes held books on the subjects of evolution, birding, science, religion, and history. I was of course very overwhelmed by the number of visitors and Winckler’s contribution.

Outside, it continued to snow, adding to the festive feelings inside. And, I thought, if I spent my winters elsewhere, one day would feel like another, which was not the case here.

Next: 339. 12/8/21: Horses as Companion Animals