Life in a Snow Globe

I started to write this "chapter" a full week ago and am just getting back to it.  February 1st was a beautiful, snowy day and I was enchanted by it as I often am.  But then the sleet, freezing rain and ice took over for the snow, and my time was spend in chopping, removing snow from roofs, shoveling off decks, and all that is necessary when the weight of snow and ice becomes a risk that requires attention. 

Just this moment, the sun came out.  I'll take that as a sign to go ahead and post this entry before I run outside to try to capture a few moments in time with the camera.  


Feb. 1, 2011:  You might wonder how someone who grew up in south Florida, would end up living in the snowy and cold northeast.  All I can tell you is, is felt like coming home.  I was born in Pennsylvania but the family moved south when I was 5.  It is said that the early childhood years are most formative; for me, that appears to have been spot on. 

From Florida, to Long Island, NY was a big jump when we made it in 1973.  By 1987, we were happy ensconsed in Northport, where Long Island Sound and the water was a summer haven.  But I longed for the hills and the wildlife that only the "country" can provide.  So we went looking for a little piece of land... and came upon this spot in Pennsylvania.

It came about, that it was not practical to think we could maintain our New York home, and keep the get-away.  Our friends thought we were absolutely crazy when we left NY and moved to the summer house ... no jobs, no financial "cushion".  But for me, the thought of giving up the country land in favor of maintaining a lifestyle in which success did NOT bring peace, well ... it was a no-brainer. 



20 years later, it is plain to see that we made the right choice.  Although I may complain from time to time, I would not trade this past 20 years for anything.  Through the years of scrimping and saving, hard work, set-backs and steps forward, I have always felt like Pennsylvania is where I belong.  Living among nature as we do has been the joy of my life.  I have no "career" any more, yet I am more successful in my soul than I can explain.  I hope my photographs convey that to my grandchildren, and their children.  I hope this land stays in the guardianship of my family long after I am gone, and that they will treasure and enjoy it's strength and beauty as I do. 

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.
~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator