It is Friday, we are half-way through the month of January, 808 new covid cases in Maine yesterday and this is the last full week that trump will be president. I was happy to be able to have a day where I got outside and glad to head out to Happy Corner Road after lunch today.
Carla, Kathy and I went into Carla's back 50 acres (we did not snow shoe through it all). Carla and her husband have spent the past 40 years tending and loving their land. They have made great multi-use trails through the winds across beautiful fields, all humorously named.
We we on "Top of It All" trail, we went down the "Scary Road" and found our way back to the house on the "Stonewall" trail. There were more names but I forgot them I was just too caught up in how beautiful, how quiet, how good it was to be out on my snow shoes. It was the first time this season.
And a few hours later I am definitely feeling that I had spent 2 hours slowly stepping through the woods. We did take lots of moments to stop, take a picture, listen to a story about the land or the trail that we were on. It was good to be out with two other women outdoors, in the woods. There was a good amount of snow, not too much to worry about if your shoes would stay on top of the snow, but not too little. The sun was not shining, but the sky was not nearly as gray as it has been most of the week.
We saw lots of little and big prints in the snow, it was quite fun to realize how many of them one or more of us could easily identify. When we were up higher we could send a beautiful band on sunlight as we looked west. It is fun to hear the three pairs of snowshoes moving through the woods. I feel down twice, I was the only one. Once after taking a picture I caught the back frame of one of my shoes, tried to move that foot and down I went. I could get myself up but was able to show not one ounce of grace. I went down a second time, I had taken a picture and we were all talking about the particular spot where we were and I just fell down. If I was younger I would be humiliated. I was hardly embarrassed, but this time with the way I feel I needed assistance so both Carla and Kathy had to really pull to help get me up!
From the very moment we all put on our snow shoes, we began and returned back to the being excited about the day that I could bring my kick sled out for us all to try. After falling twice, luckily I fall easily and don't do things that make falling worse, I too am really looking forward to being on the back end of my kick sled and holding on.
I came home and made a wonderful cup of tea. I let the experience of being outside, stepping in the snow settle deep within me. I felt myself breathing it all into my lungs, my heart, my soul. Taking comfort in a week that made comfort seem sometimes very far away.
I am finding myself getting excited about being able to get the vaccine soon. I am not sure when it will happen, it seems like Maine gets less and less of what was promised, and we now hear today that the trump administration promised states vaccines that they did not even have. We will be spending a lot of time finding out the factual story versus one that was fueled by people's fear and delusion.
When Sasha and I talked yesterday, she had lots of questions about where I was in the rollout, she was ready to head out to Maine to make sure I get mine as soon as possible. She was relaying my being intubated, pulmonary failure, my lungs which are now operating so well now having the scars of decades past. Besides making me smile, I felt quite loved as she was putting on display all of her "you are my mother" fierceness. I hope that we all can get our appointment soon and get the vaccine. I hope that testing will be able to occur easily and that people who test positive can get the support and clarity they need to be able to isolate, not infect more people. All of this seems in reach. On Wednesday we will have a new President, he has already rolled out his action and legislative plan for combating this virus. It is a breath of fresh air, as good for my body, heart and soul as my afternoon trek in the woods. I am breathing a little more deeply tonight. I hope you are too.
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