I like the Summer because it is so enjoyable to take our little boat ("Miss Pam") over the the lake and just cruise around for a while in the evening. It's only 10 min. from the driveway to the boat ramp. Lake Loramie is a pretty nice little lake, and we really enjoy it. I especially liked it when we could take Bailey (our dog) with us.
Fall is nice because that means football. Maybe even more than Spring, I like to play golf in the Fall. I really enjoy the scenery and cling to every last day I can tee it up. I played 18-holes on November 25th and it was absolutely beautiful. I hate to admit it, but that might be the last day for this year.
And now, to the point of this article. Winter. I love the Winter because it brings crisp days, and challenges one to go out and "see" what's going on. I kinda like driving the Jeep (and previously the 8 Chevy Trail Blazers I owned) around on the country roads just to see the snow-covered woods, the fields glistening in the bright sun, and the birds flying in the crisp skies. I really used to enjoy flying in the winter because the plane seemed to jump off the runway. Takeoffs and landings on the snowy landing strips proved to be quite an adventure, but once airborne, it was such an effortless, and always much more smooth flight.
But then, we always get to Christmas. I love this time of year for the bright lights, the Christmas trees and decorations, the attempt at heightened civility by people in the stores and on the streets. I also love it for the things I know that happened long, long ago. I love to go to Christmas Eve ceremonies at church, and really, really like the sounds of a choir floating from speakers on the streets and in the parks.
Once when I was stationed in Germany during the first Gulf War, I had the occasion to hear a German Boys Choir sing at midnight on Christmas Eve. The little town church was situated in a valley with huge mountains all around, and I was walking around the perimeter of the base talking to my troops who were on guard duty, when the sounds of the choir came up the hill. The snow was crisp, the cold air was biting at my fingers and cheeks, but that sound just really hit me. I have never forgotten that night and still think of it on cold Ohio nights when the snow is falling.
Pam and I just put up our tree today so I took a picture of it. One thing I really like is how the lights reflect in all the windows of "The Pentagon" (our room overlooking the pond) -- it's like there is a whole forest of Christmas trees just on the other side of the glass. It is really cool to sit out there at night with all the other lights out, just reading and listening to music on the stereo (is that dating me calling it a stereo?).
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
(Dr. Seuss)Hooah
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