the darkest hour is just before dawn.

Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength. He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of willpower. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present. Tao Te Ching

_Morning,

It was a cold one yesterday! The high was only 11. The overnight low was -4! It was -4 and cloudy at observation. It was sunny and clear for the majority of the day, then developed into flurries in the late afternoon. There's about an inch of snow on the ground. It's soft fluffy stuff, but there is some ice underneath it on the trails - so be careful!

As I type this in the allegedly heated kitchen, I see my breath creep ever upwards as I whistle to the radio. My hands are frigid like exoskeletons and I am wrapped cocoon-like in a wool blanket. It is starting to resemble the winter that was the drapery of my dreams in months of anticipation. This kind of cold is never something to be ignored, always provoking you and sending exhilarating shivers through to your core and rind. There is an eternal quality in this extreme weather. We are tied to past generations in these conditions, to prehistoric peoples who didn't take warmth and comfort for granted. It is a gift.