THE GOOD LIFE

The National News continues to drone on about the continuing frigid temperatures in the north country, and to chide those of us residing in the Sunbelt to be gentle when telling our northern friends about our sunshine and 70 degree temps. Sometimes this is regarded as the Gloating Season...especially for the snowbirds like me who have endured so many of those cold, dark, windy, frigid winters.

I felt just a twinge of guilt when I sent this pictures to my northern trailriding friends this morning. I am sure they have not seen their horses for months, as they are deeply covered with long hair, snow, blankets or all of the above. They come in at night for feedings with frosty breaths, icy snowballs under their hooves causing them to skitter across the aisle to their stalls, and crusty ice patches clinging to their manes and tails. I told them of how it was a chilly 65 degrees yesterday, so I had to wear my windbreaker when I rode ( I know what they are wearing.....I still have a heavy down riding jacket in my closet!). I have now been accused of having thinned blood from my months spent in the sunshine. When I go out and see the sun glinting off my palominos golden coat and watch him standing contently under a shade tree drinking out of his lukewarm watering tank, I know he is sadly thinking of his horse friends up north who are hunched up with their backs against the raw wind, pawing through the snow for frozen grass or hay, and nuzzling their waterer which has once again frozen over. There goes that guilty twinge again,

BUT...I have to remind myself that I spent 59 years freezing my butt in that tundra, Bart has had the ice balls under his feet, and now that I am an old lady of 61 and haved survived 30 years of teaching middle-schoolers in public schools, I DESERVE THIS!!!!!!! So to my shivering friends up north.....put in your time, then come on down......there are warm, sunny trails to explore, sunshine to soak up, warm swimming pools and hot tubs to ease your stiffened joints, and NO MOSQUITOS OR HUMIDITY!!!!!

Yup, it is pretty nice down here. But the only thing missing is the laughter, teasing, and friendly friends from up north. So in another few months, when it is heating up down here, they will be telling me of the beautiful spring days, the flowers starting to bloom, the riding trails and parks opening up......and I will leave this winter paradise and the moutains and return to that northland with it's summer and fall beauty. But until then, excuse me, I have a yeller hoss out there waiting for a ride. ADIOS!