Time passes differently in New England where winter can be long and cold. With great clarity we celebrate the fullness of 4 distinct seasons! Autumn is splendid with it’s cool nights, crystaline light and fall foliage. But we’ve been taught for far too many generations that it’s also a time to get ready. Crops to harvest and boats to put up on the hard. Firewood to split and stack. With winter there comes cold and snow. Certainly there are skiing adventures and meals to be shared with loved ones by fireside. But by early spring we’re made giddy by the melting of ice, receding from lakes and ponds, rivers and streams. By the return of migratory birds, the lengthening of daylight hours and the joyful sound of peepers on that first warm evening that tells us summer really is on its way. And when it finally does arrive, we welcome it back with open arms! Embracing it like a long lost friend who’s been away too long. I write this note on the winter solstice…the longest night of the year. And I pause, slightly awestruck by the light of a very cold, but full blue moon over my right shoulder. I’m thankful for the warmth of the fire and for time to think about things I miss. I know these things will come back around, and I’m grateful that the days will indeed grow longer still.