A Layer of Snow

A layer of snow has the ground covered in about an 1” or more and it is pretty. However, I will never forget the feet of snow, which covered almost everything, and the stark beauty and magic that it brought to the high mountain town we used to live in.  Ah yes, the snow, the magic and the beauty of it not lost on me, at all. It was beautiful in those high mountains, but also scary if you had to venture out. We did not go out much, in winter, unless we had to, which I kinda did for the elderly couple I took care of and sometimes my little ol’ truck had a hard time getting up and down the hills in town.  After all the driving I did in 5 years, to work at different hospitals, in winter, as well, you’d think I’d feel a certain level of expertise and there is that, but there is also the wonder, “How the hell did I do it?” It is an amazement for the cahones I had. I cast a lot of circles of light around me and my car and all the other drivers and made, “eat that snow, eat that ice…” my winter mantra! Even though with chains, which I became good at attaching to my tires, it was still scary at times and I visualized getting up and down mountain passes, safely. I visualized, used circles of light, chanted Mantra’s and chewed my Osha root, furiously—all to insure my safety and health! And something must’ve worked cuz here I am writing about it! Or could it be my innate drive to survive and thrive? Or all of the above? At any point, driving the rest of the year was a breeze and very beautiful! The scenery never ceased to place me, plop me right down, into a place of awe! I experienced the spirituality in the landscape over and over, again. I felt it and felt my connection, to all of it. And I wrote and wrote about it while I drove and as soon as I landed. The hospital experiences were learnings and the scenery my dessert—such a sublime dessert!  The wildlife was part of the awesome scenery. Like the Wolf pups on McClure Pass, on my way towards Glenwood Springs. They were running across the road and playing. I stopped to watch and another car stopped on the other side to watch, as well. That same pass in winter was six inches deep and no sign of a snow plow anywhere. I had trouble getting my chains on that morning, but a nice motorist stopped and helped. Then, I just toodled along, slowly, snow falling steadily, until I got to the other side. McClure was only about 8000 something feet, but it was harder that morning to get across. But I was committed. Committed to keeping my promise of showing up to work, committed to making the most money I’d ever made, so we could live in the house we were able to buy. Of course, I do have new friends to share the stories with, but mostly they add to my own personal repertoire of experiences, which add to who I am.  Learning, the building blocks, Tinker Toys, or Lincoln Logs of experience. And, most of all, part of my spiritual journey and the sterner stuff, of which I am made. I know there are friends I have, who could not nor would they have, done it. But it was my own personal journey and served to let me know, after those scary, awesome journeys into my soul and spirit, as well as, into the world, I can do a lot more than I think I can! I am made of sterner stuff and I can overcome fears, worries and obstacles that would stop some others. However, it is truly relative, but I am so grateful for my journey and my awesome experiences and learnings—they fill me with joy, to know I did it—and I had the guts, the ovaries to do it. And the bonus, the dessert of the drop-dead gorgeous scenery I was able to see and eat with my eyes, my mind and my heart--Seasonings of bliss and adventure laid at my table…