Fresh Air

I'm faithful about exercising indoors between 30 and 60 minutes most days of the week during the winter months, but there is nothing like an outdoor walk to invigorate me.  For as many months of the year as possible, I try to get in an evening walk after work, as well as walks on the weekend.  I love to be outside, to take in deep breaths of fresh air and to see nature in its gloriously constant state of change.  One recent Saturday, during our January thaw, the built-up snow had melted from the streets and the black ice was gone, so I trekked earnestly, moving faster than usual, pumping my arms, breathing in the crisp air, and filled with gratitude for the chance to be outside.  I'm not a skiier and I've never tried show-shoeing.  Walking briskly is my thing, but only when there isn't the risk of slipping and falling.  So, I'm thankful for the recent January thaw, which enabled me the chance to get that precious fresh air.

The Eagles Have Landed

It's been a busy holiday week of long workdays and little time off, so I decided to steal away for a couple of hours today in order for Larry and me to walk out at Devil's Lake.  Winter hasn't hit its stride yet in Wisconsin.  The sun was shining, the temperature peaked in the mid-40s, and there was only a bit of snow and ice to hamper our brisk pace.  A few others had the same idea, for we came upon a couple throwing snowballs at each other and a young foursome bravely and deftly swishing about on the little bit of solid ice near the shoreline.  Another group of young people skipped stones across the ice, while small children standing with their mom and dad at the boat landing chanted in their light, high voices back to the chattering crows overhead.  We walked behind a couple with a dog whose white coat blended in with its environs.  All the while, the waves of the open water crashed into the icy areas, causing a castanet-type of sound similar to the crackling of freezing rain against the windowpane.  Just when I thought it couldn't get more perfect, Larry and I looked up and saw two bald eagles swoop in and land high atop a pine tree, a sliver of moon already showing in the afternoon sky to their backs.  They spent a great deal of time talking to each other in high-pitched voices.  Larry tried to capture the scene using his cell phone camera but it couldn't do it justice, so we decided to simply etch the memory of that beautiful encounter in our minds.  Our respite from the everyday renewed our energy and made everything seem so right.