Strap on a Pair

  This morning after looking out the window, I decided it was high time to strap on a pair. A pair of snowshoes that is. We had a good amount of powdery snow and the lake was frozen in front of the cabin, so a trip around the lake was in order.
  One of the problems that I hear from people who retire is that they get bored. I am not sure how that works, I wonder how I ever had time to work. It is easy to stay occupied just by taking a nice walk, and a walk on snowshoes is a great way to get outside. The benefits of a snowshoe walk are many. You get some fresh air at a time of year when it is hard to get exercise, you see things from a radically different perspective and you learn a new skill, which helps to keep the brain young.
  If you remember trying to snowshoe when you were younger, I have to tell you that it is a completely different experience. Gone are the days of waddling through the snow to keep the snowshoes far enough apart, no more random snow angels made from stepping on the tail of the front shoe and going down in a heap. Modern snowshoes are relatively inexpensive, light and are much more ergonomically designed. The bindings are a cinch to fasten and they allow for a natural walking gait. At 20-25cm(8-10in) wide you don't have to walk like a penguin to keep them apart. Most sets now also come with poles that are similar to walking or ski poles, that allows for much better balance.

  As we hit the lake today there was a low fog hanging over the ice that left a dreamlike quality to the scenery and it was a completely silent day here in cottage country, not a soul in sight. My wife and I headed off on a tour around the shoreline, pausing to view natures sculptures in snow and ice and to look at the docks and gazebos just waiting for the warmer weather. This is one of the great things about retiring in cottage country, the peace and quiet and the change that each season brings.
  As we went further around the lake we saw a set of deer tracks leaving shore and heading to a small island. We notices that there were no tracks leaving the island, so we spent some time looking for the deer on the small island, but to no avail, it was either laying down and resting, or it blended too well as it watched us from shore.

  These are small joys, but they are joys that make it a real pleasure to head out on the lake and get some fresh air, because you never know what you will find when you leave the house.


So, if you are sitting in the house looking out the window and wishing that there was something you could do, just remember, strap on a pair and go for a walk.

Let it snow....

Snow day

Today is the kind of day that really reinforces one of the all time great joys of retirement, the lack of a schedule. The ability to change your plans at a moments notice, of having no or very few commitments that are carved in stone. Today is a Storm day.

The great part of having a storm in retirement is that you don't have to head out and shovel the snow to get the car out to head to work, you don't need to suffer the cold snow down the back of your neck in the predawn hours to go to your daily grind. You can sit inside and enjoy the view of natures artistry at your own convenience.

The roads aren't plowed so there is no need to shovel or work on the snow blower. The snow just changed over to rain and it is coming in horizontally, no problem, the fire is cozy and warm and the book is entertaining. It is a relaxing day much like the days of our youth when we could enjoy a snow day, not like the days of our adulthood when a snow day became an added chore in an already hectic life.

Having a snow day brings on the simple joys of a cocoa and a book by the fire, or the smells of homemade bread in the oven. It is a day without plans and one where we can take a devil may care attitude to what comes naturally. I know that we will eventually need to clear the driveway, but it can be done on my terms which is a truly liberating feeling. It is a day like today that really makes you feel that you are the master of your own destiny.

As the song says, "The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful".  So to all those enjoying the retirement years, lets all just say. Let it snow, Let is snow, let it snow.