It’s easy to forget your blessings and I thank the Gods for the whispers that come from the most unexpected places.

Other than scurrying outside to feed the goats or greet the postman, I haven’t spent an extra moment in the frigid air…

better to look at the sparkling snow from the comfort of the kitchen table or the couch with a special blanket wrapped around my shoulders (doing my part to keep the oil bill down you know).

But I was kicked in the butt nudged on the shoulder by a quick phone conversation this morning…and I recognize an angel tickle when I feel one.

I was talking with a woman who from Waterville (she’s camped here before) and in passing said that I hadn’t been outside in a week.

Without skipping a beat she said that if she had the opportunity to live at the beach she wouldn’t let a day go by without walking beside the water…

OK, OK…she’s right,  I’ve been lazy.

So an hour later when my computer work was finished I put on my ski pants, a silk undershirt, three sweaters, two pairs of socks,  a hat, scarf and two pairs of mittens…

strapped on the snowshoes and headed down to the beach…really, with the amount of time it takes me to get out the door, is it any wonder that I’ve been staying inside for 10 days?

Snowshoes are a necessity because if you step in the deep drifts of snow around here you sink up to your waist. (I know, if you talk with me in the summer, I’m apt to lament that we don’t get much snow around here, just lots of ice…but sometimes my memory is faulty)

Logistics demanded snowshoes instead of skis so that I’d have boots on to walk to the park once I got to the water…yup, it’s a complicated life I lead.

And you’ve probably already guessed that it was sparkling and beautiful…and not as cold as I had imagined.

No clouds in the sky, only gulls and ducks…and the alternating sound of squeaking ice sitting on top of the water and crunchy seaweed under my boots.

I’m so glad I thought to go outside…going again tomorrow…