Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding geographical areas have been transformed! This past Saturday several inches of snow arrived and Sunday night I do believe Jack Frost gleefully made his rounds with his buckets of ice. As a result I have been on three very different prayer walks these past three days.

The country roads are covered with snow around here. Sunday it was soft and white, so very easy to walk in with my snow boots on and layers of winter clothing. I left Reddogg home as the snow would cling to the undersides of his paws, becoming very uncomfortable from the cold, snowy road. So I walked on, alone and content in my winter wonderland. No birds were out, all tucked up in the thick branches of trees, I imagine. It was all so quiet I could hear the snow fall onto my shoulders which were protected and covered by my winter coat. The snow was everywhere.

The cedar trees were spectacular with their snow covered branches. I stopped and studied them. If you really looked at them you could see different shapes the fallen snow flakes had created; a dinosaur, a bird, a raccoon face, a cat with a long bushy tail. It was quite the art show, one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Only two cars passed me, both driven by my neighbors, both telling me the roads were “not good”, both offering me a ride back home, and both I chose to decline. I was warm and enjoying this new terrain covered in white. Three off road vehicles passed me, gators or four wheelers or side by sides, traveling down the road with great gusto. The drivers and passengers looked just as energetic as their vehicles with their neck scarfs blowing in the wind, big smiles plastered to their faces and their hands waving happily at me. I took a couple of videos with my phone just because I felt like I was in a movie, the whole environment like something I would experience way up north, not here in Louisville, Ky.

I made a snow angel about a mile up the road from Our Treehouse. A small church with a small parking lot sits at an intersection. It felt absolutely wonderful to lie down in that snow in that parking lot and look up at the sky. I rested for about five minutes. My body was definitely burning up more energy than on an average spring day. I felt the soft snowflakes on my face and the packed snow beneath me. So, so quiet. Peaceful. Lovely.

Monday’s prayer walk was much different. Reddogg was able to take his usual place by my side. Though it was still cold and snowy it was packed snow now, covered with ice, so it did not settle into the pads of his paws. And I was different. Yesterday it was all about fun and exploring and enjoying myself. Today it was much more of a challenge. I had to become more aware of how I stepped on that packed ice and snow. Sometimes it held my weight, other times my boots came crashing through with a loud “crunch”. Actually the “crunch, crunch” was everywhere I walked because ice was covering the road, driveways and fields. The ice was like eye candy to me, coating the branches of the Tall Beings, fence posts, barbed wire, and farm equipment. Icicles were hanging from the barn, silos, and metal wire fencing, anywhere from one inch long to six inches long. The whole country scene was painted in three colors: white, grey, and a dark green from the cedar trees. I did see one lone red cardinal, a dramatic red dot in the midst of a white, snowy blanket on top of a farm tractor.

The smaller cedars were bent over from the weight of the snow and ice, bowing down to Mother Nature as if honoring the Queen that she is. I decided to step under one of them, wondering if it was possibly a little warmer if I enclosed myself in their circle of branches. The feeling that I had just entered a magical place instantly transported my imagination. It was a safe shelter, quiet, still, with no wind. I was positive someone or something lived here. I would not have been surprised if an indignant gnome or curious fairy had suddenly appeared on one of the green branches frosted with snow and demanded, “What business do you have here in our forest home?” And what a royal forest home it was! Tiny ice balls covered the branches, rich and abundant, glistening, like crystal pearls. They were shining so bright I had to remove my glove and reach out and touch them, feeling them slick and cold on my fingertips. Then I peeked out from the heavy branches in my own little forest and felt as if I could view the snow covered fields from a whole, new perspective. Delightful!

Today the ice was even more treacherous, slick and relentless, because the temperature had dropped into the single digits last night. It was difficult to walk with my head up and facing forward. I felt much more confident if I bent my head and studied the ground with every step I took, Reddogg beside me. It was quiet again, colder, and I felt the cold settling into my fingertips. It was time to head home. I turned and did look up into the nearest Tall Being and saw a flash of red settle onto a branch. A red-tailed Hawk! I sucked in my breath with surprise. He was so close to me. Then off to my left I saw a movement, another flash of red, another red-tailed Hawk flew up and sat beside the first one. What a wonderful surprise! Happy day!

The snow has been such a gift to me. I hope you can see it, hear it, and feel it from the words I write. Just relax and let the images take you there. Lovely, delightful, and happy day!

c   Love, Joan