Persimmon Glen

Life in the country is pretty awesome.

Snow piles up at your door, icicles hang from the roof, can't open the front door without a torch to melt the various forms of water.

Trekking 200 ft up hill to the power pole in boots, a long coat and scarf and gloves, in knee-deep snow because I tripped the breaker by running 2 heaters and a coffeepot at the same time. It was cold, what can I say? Thing is, I did it twice.

At least I'm not alone in my solitude. I don't hear many cars moving on the road. That means everyone either totally abandoned the countryside, or they are bundled up inside against the storm too.

The usual peace and quiet is magnified by six inches of snow. You can hear a pin drop out there. I actually heard a horse fart from 100 yards away.

The mailman is the only brave soul to wander loose. He came up my little private lane yesterday to deliver a couple of books I had ordered and I wanted to latch on to him and not let go. I was so happy to hear another human voice. I asked him what the roads were like 'out there'. What a dumb question, but it was the quickest thing my frozen brain could think of to hold him here for just a moment, for a moment, I knew, was all he had for me. I wondered how many times that day he had been invited in to someones home for a cup of coffee, so that they, too, could hear the news from 'out there'.

Three days of being stuck in the house has rendered me insensible. Never mind that I wouldn't have gone anywhere anyway, it's the idea that I can't. So today I have promised myself that I will venture out. In the car. I'll have to think of something I need from town. Surely there is something I HAVE to have. Oh, I know!

People!

I'll wander out and see that the rest of the world is still out there. Down in the valley there is no snow, so life will be going on as usual. I'll hang out for a couple of hours just to reassure myself, then I'll happily make my way back home, glad to be tucked back in to my quiet peaceful little world, where dogs snore and horses hang their heads over the fence begging for animal crackers.

Yes, life in the country is pretty awesome.