What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
Part of what I don't care for about 21st century life in the first world is how easy everything is, or made to seem. Push button this and that, even driving a car with crank down windows seems so primitive nowadays, and with food stocked up in every huge box store every mile or 2 along every interstate and all the goodies on Amazon, eBay etc there is little need to stock up on anything. It is the good life, the land of plenty.. Problem is I don't fully trust it. The supply chains are few, complex, and completely dependent on each other or they fail rather quickly, and the failures cascade. Etc etc.
What does that have to do with winter? Probably nothing, but for me it means some sort of empowerment in the acts of storing up things we know we will need. Food, with a huge pantry filled with dry goods, and 2 full freezers with meat and fish. Firewood, I have enough to heat the house this year mostly split and ready to go, I am already thinking about the next winters wood supply! I have sand in buckets for keeping ready for traction on the ice, and even though I don't hunt, I keep a few rifles around and the supplies to hand load ammunition in case I need to at some point.
Winter to me means getting ready for it, being prepared not just for cold, hell it doesn't get near as cold here as many places in the lower 48 , but the act of it makes me feel a little less helpless about my fate in general.
And besides, winter is just breathtakingly beautiful!!
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It is my dogs favorite season, and he is the wisest person I know!
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