Warm winter walk

Today was sweatshirt weather, and also December 12. How many more days of sweatshirt weather will there be yet this year? 

So I took Fritz and went into town with Chuck to do errands. Chuck dropped us off on the bike path and we walked about 2 1/2 miles by the time he'd finished his errands. It was beautiful weather and there were very few people out walking. 

But there were water fowl.

I came upon this heron who seems to be unafraid of people staring and taking pictures.

Then there were geese. I know they are common, but somehow they feel uncommon and wonderful to me. Hearing them calling as they cross the sky can pull me from a gloomy mood. They force the recognition of seasons, both in the year and in life. 

There was a couple of days last week that were tough and I was thinking about the passage from Habakkuk.

Though the fig tree does not blossom,

   and no fruit is on the vines;

though the produce of the olive fails,

   and the fields yield no food;

though the flock is cut off from the fold,

   and there is no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

   I will exult in the God of my salvation.

I wondered how Habakkuk could come to this, that even if all goes wrong, still I will exult in God?

I went walking on our road, and as I thought about this, I heard the honking of geese, and began to see the long lines passing overhead looking for their evening landing place.

It was a reminder, there is goodness.

I can't really explain it, how the sound of geese can change my outlook, but when I told some friends, they also had experienced this mystery. 

Because it was warm, Chuck was intent on getting the last pieces of the chimney pipe together so we could fire up the new stove while it was warm enough to have the windows open for ventilation. The paint on a new stove gives off non-toxic odors. So he got things put together. I had to leave for an appointment, and when I got home I found this.

Pretty dusty, but the house will be toasty now and the electric bills will shrink as well. It's fun to be able to see the fire.