~~We missed most of the snow this go around. Barely got enough snow here to think about it but they got slammed or maybe I should say buried to the north and east of us. I like snow once or twice a year but then I’m ready to move on toward sunshine and flowers. But even though we didn’t get the snow, we got rain and then cold so we had plenty of icicles. I remember when I was a kid, we would have long icicles hanging down from the edges of the roof and we thought it was a treat to break them off and eat them. Then we’d go find a patch of extra clean snow and scoop up a pan full and Mom would make snow cream. Does anybody dare do that anymore? Or are we all too afraid of pollutants and acid rain and who knows what being in the snow? If I could have reached the icicles in my picture I might have tried a lick or two which doesn’t make sense since I would never even consider taking a drink out of the creek even if the water looked pristine. I’d be too worried about those nasty little invisible germs. Maybe I think the freezing gets rid of those germs.
~~I’ve been researching the background time period for the book I’m working on. It was close to the time of one of the cholera outbreaks in Kentucky where hundreds of people died. For a long time nobody could figure out what caused cholera. They thought it might be bad air and the townspeople who could would flee to the country. Of course it was later determined that it was caused by contaminated water supplies. The Shakers worried about cholera breaking out in their village when it was raging in the nearby towns, but because the Shakers were so forward thinking in regard to cleanliness, they were spared the cholera deaths and many other epidemics of the time. Their leader, Mother Ann, had written that good spirits would not live where there was dirt. That was one of the reasons they were so adamant about keeping everything clean and orderly.
~~Thank heavens we don’t have to worry about that sort of epidemic these days. But wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go out and scoop up some snow and not have to worry about it being polluted? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could still climb up into the mountains and see clear to yonder? Wouldn’t it nice if no fishermen had to worry about the fish in the rivers being safe to eat? Wouldn’t it be nice if nobody threw trash out along our country roads or on our city streets?
~~We’re still living in a beautiful country with many blessings all around. Hope you’re having a great Super Bowl Sunday.
