How Long is Long

This harsh winter weather is every bit as wearying as any stretch of Houston's unbearable summer heat. The cold, though, unlike the heat which might induce you to gather friends around a pool for margaritas and guacamole, is not conducive to social interactions, it least not to this still thin blooded Texan. I know why bears hibernate. I'd like to stay in my warm bed under the covers, until, say, June. At least the school bus finally made it up our road today and I didn't have to repeat my slapstick dash to scrape ice from the windshield while trying to maintain my balance on 2 inches of ice slick as a mirror. And then I think of those pioneer women who might have trekked across the very stretch of ground I've become somewhat adept at skating on (two hard falls on the same piece of anatomy being an adequate motivator to add that skill to my repertoire), toting infants and small children across the continent without central heat, a 24 hr. pharmacy or wipies. Holing up for winter in some frontier town, waiting months to hear news of family and friends. I heard their voices in the rustling of the 25 mph winds in the trees last night, " ........" actually, I can't repeat what I heard--a kid could read this. Suffice it to say I heard mention of the internet, GoreTex, combustible engines, electricity and lattes. Oh, and I think I caught the word "guacamole."