Winter Day

I woke up this morning to below zero wind chills and a snow covered landscape.  It was only about an inch of snow but enough to change the appearance of my neighborhood.  It was a day off from work and my usual demands in the office and a day that I planned to spend with my good friend, Father Dennis.  The extreme cold and snowfall gave me some concern about driving on the somewhat lonely country roads that take me to Dennis's home but I decided to try my luck and hope for the best.  After dropping my wife off at her office I got on the interstate and headed south.  Despite the frigid temperatures the roads were remarkably dry and free of ice.  The morning sunrise had a beauty you can only experience in winter, at least until the sun was fully over the horizen and it seemed like a lazer beam aimed at my face.  I had already had to stop once and manually clean my windshield from salt residue.  Apparently there was ice covering the tiny holes on my windshield wipers that prevented the washing fluid from squirting out.  When the full force of the morning sun shone in my eyes I was completely blinded a couple of times until I changed direction away from the east.  I eventually made it to Dennis's house and we soon headed out to a local Mom and Pop restaurant for a hot breakfast of eggs, hash browns, country ham, and biscuits and gravy.  During our meal and throughout the day we had wonderful conversations about life, spirituality, and growing old.  In the afternoon, when we both were in need of a nap, I said my goodbyes and I headed home on on the slower but more scenic backroads.  Now we are heading into another cold night followed by another snowy day tomorrow.  I am looking forward to a day at home where I can sit in my room and look out my window at the falling snow.  Winter can be harsh but like all the seasons it also has it's beauty.