hot showers are special

I never imagined I would live in a place where taking a shower would be a legitimate topic of conversation that could carry the conversation for several minutes, nor that getting a hot shower would be cause for congratulation and small celebration. It is common that at any meal one may bring up the fact that they successfully had a hot shower that day, or bemoan that the water was not hot. Discussions of the best times to take showers, how many people one must share the hot water with, and informing others of one's intention to shower in hopes that the water is hot are all commonplace. 

Nor had I imagined that I would live in a place where I could hike up the side of a mountain for an afternoon walk. Watching the clouds gracefully envelop the mountain tops, seeing the precipitation change between rain and snow multiple times in a day, as if quite uncertain what to be. Being so close to the snow line, so that I can see the snowy trees just a couple hundred feet above us when all we got was rain.

I finally am settling into the rhythms, being comfortable here, and wondering what it will be like to go out and come back in. The snow has melted significantly, and is back to what I can imagine as normal amounts of snow (with my gauge for that being Minnesota, so take it as you will). Small trees are reappearing, and several other things have also emerged that I never knew were hiding under the snow. Entrances to most buildings are once again near ground level. I have seen more birds. Spring is nearer, though still, it seems, a little uncertain about making a full appearance.

We seem to have survived March madness, which apparently plagues the village this time every year with cabin fever and the twitchies. I have had the opportunity to do a lot of reading lately, which has pleased me immensely. The library here is larger than I imagined it would be, and there are many things to choose from.

The mine remediation people are beginning to trickle in, and it won't be too long before that season is in full swing and the village will take on a very different character.

I suppose this isn't all too poignant, but a brief update for you, since I don't have my own computer and the internet is super slow, which makes it hard to write here very often.