January 17, 2011

Our thermometer lies to us. Since our house faces south and there are no trees near it, the thermometer is nailed to one the posts for the arbor. It's one of those large faced units that you can see from 25 ft. away. But it lies. It's not it's fault since being on the post means it is out in the sun. So today with the crystal blue skies and the light breeze making my wind chimes dance, the thermometer reads 30*. It is not 30*. It is nowhere near 30*. It might be 10* or 13*, a bit lower with the breeze, but not 30*.
Still I suited up and went out for my walk. Knowing full well that the thermometer lies but trying to believe that it didn't. When I say suit up that is pretty much what I mean. Long johns and snow pants. Three layers on top with an orange puffy vest so hunters don't mistake me for an overfed deer or bear. Mittens, a hat with a brim, ear muffs and a neck tube. By the time I am done and out the door the only skin exposed are the tops of my cheeks. Everything else is covered and stays fairly warm. I even have those mittens were the tops fold back into fingerless gloves. Which is great for being able to use the camera or blow my nose. Today I had to stops several times to pull up the neck tube to warm my cheeks. I know you are saying just keep it up. I can't. I wear glasses and the world becomes one gigantic blur when the glasses fog up from my breath. Neither can I take the glasses off because I would be able to see where I was going. Just one conundrum after another.
But within minutes of returning to the warmth of my home I can once again feel my face in it entirety. Is it worth the discomfort? I think so. I stopped and watched a woodpecker some 30 ft up in a tree. It was the only sound to be heard, it's pecking trying to find food echoing off the other trees and in the far distance the sound of a second woodpecker doing the same. Then there were 2 different sets of deer prints coming and going to the beaver pond. I have only seen 1 deer in the 11 months I have been hiking this road. But many times I see their prints on the road, coming from the woods in the north to the beaver pond and old orchard areas to the south. I have seen moose print and moose. But for the most part my walks are solitary and quiet. And that is how I like them.