Last week the historic Grain Belt sign was due to be relit. I’ve been wanting to get down to take some pics of it, but it seems like every night this week has brought other things. Tonight I had some time, but am feeling like I’m fighting off a bit of sick, and the idea of hanging out in the cold wasn’t appealing.

However, I wanted to share some thoughts. This past weekend at the Tuscobia 160, racers utilized the Tuscobia Trail which is a long, and mostly flat, trail from Rice Lake to Park Falls in Wisconsin. I spent some time walking out to the trail from the turnaround and was awed by the beauty that surrounded me.

A friend recently commented that I live in a frozen wasteland. Yet, despite a climate that is challenging to humans, there is constant life and beauty. The term ‘wasteland’ implies the absence of life and joy in any way. Yet, here in our winter landscape we get to experience a type of life that no one else sees. We get to see animals with winter coats to protect them from the cold. We get to see trees covered in beautiful ice crystals on every branch. We get to experience a stillness in the air that allows you to hear every crack and creak of your footstep. It is a silence that is deafening in it’s own way.

I tip my hat to winter. Despite it’s harsh exterior, it is a thing to be treasured and savored. It is a part of the universe we inhabit, and I for one feel more fulfilled in my life for having experienced it.