There’s barely any snow. It’s been below zero once that I’ve noticed, and maybe twice more that I haven’t. In the mornings I fry eggs for the boys on the wood stove; it’s dark outside and they sleepily dress for work while I tend to their breakfast. The fire whooshes and the eggs are done so I slide them onto chipped plates. Two yolks intact, one broken, one leaking just a little. Not really broken, not really intact. No one cares one way or another, it’s just a game I play, trying to keep those yolks whole. I’m not too good at it.
They eat and leave. I ski on the scratchy snow, do chores, then drive over the mountain. It snowed a little the night before, it’s still snowing now, in fact, but so lightly you could almost miss it. Maybe an inch total, and yet the old man who lives in the trailer on the other side of the mountain is shovelling his driveway. He’s cleared the neatest of paths down one side of his drive and seems to be working his way back up the other side. The edges of his path are so crisp I want to stop and take a photo. The trailer is old, but clean. It looks freshly painted. The old man looks spry and happy and I watch him in the rearview mirror for as long as I can.
Ben Hewitt 
It’s will. I am frightened by how long in been
we should cut time’s throat
Will. Nice to hear from you. Glad to know you’re still kicking.
Ben….Are they intact or not intact? Funny.
We had about 5 inches of wet snow this morning. I just came in from shoveling the driveway here where I stay. I’m too old to be doing this but the old guy with the trailer gives me hope.
As I walked back to the house I can see that the sky cleared while I was shoveling. Low, but not too low, in the southeast sky was the rising quarter moon against a deep blue background not yet quite dark. It’s a beautiful winter evening in New England.
Thank you for the post and the photo (seen before?).
I’m that old man. Thanks! A beauty of brief prose, this.
Sounds like some of my neighbors. 🙂
It must be nice to have both of your sons around to help with chores when they’re not working. Maybe you can get ahead on your firewood, 3 people splitting and stacking can move a lot of wood.
Already got next year’s bucked and split. Just started on ’23/’24.
Good for you!
A full woodshed gives a man peace of mind, while an empty woodshed is a souce of anxiety.
Proper prior planning promotes positive professional performance.
I forgot to ask, but did Rye punch his tags?
I tagged 4 whitetail does in November and gave them to Hunters Helping the Hungry. No bucks worthy of a trip to the taxidermist wondered by while I was afield, so no bucks were harmed in 2021.
Isn’t it amazing how enchanted we are with winter in December and early January?