Evening there everybody,

 Now as I type this there is a scene from a Christmas card laying itself to rest upon my home. It has been on the chilly side for the past couple of days, combine that with a bit of precipatation in the air and you have the perfect ingredients for snow. Already a couple of inches has fallen and the calm difting of the falling snow continues.

 My home lays within the boundaries of a national forest, and is surrounded by the most lovely of cedar and pine trees. Out of the chimney flows a thin wisp of smoke from the warming fire. As I sat and watched the peace that was befalling the world and sipped a cup of hot chocolate something dawned on me.

 I used to live in a city where all you ever saw was rain for weeks at a time. To now live in one of the Christmas cards I always used to recieve is quite amazing. Now for words of wisdom I have learned from this.

 Never take for granted what you have, because there is someone else out there that would trade their very life for it.

 Never take for granted snow, it may look soft, fluffy, and lite, but it is a bit...um...pain :D to shovel.

                                                                 -John