Gratitude Day 15: Polarfleece, Wool, and Longjohns

"Sunstar and Ice"
Rime ice covers the trees along Clingmans Dome Road. 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 
© 2014 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved
I was not born loving the wintry season. Darkness, cold, and snow were my sworn enemies all the years I lived in Salt Lake City. Bundling up to go outside is what you did when absolutely necessary. Rejoicing in frigid weather conditions is a new thing for me. Blame Clingmans Dome. Blame my photography addiction. Blame getting older and losing part of my senses. Blame technology which turns used plastic Coke bottles into soft, insulating fuzzy things to wear. Blame knitting, where woolly socks, hats, and scarves are inevitable. Never in a million years did I think I would ever wear longjohns (aka microfiber cuddle-duds) let alone be grateful for them, and polarfleece, and woolly socks, mitts, and hats. But as I was hiking to the top of Clingmans Dome yesterday or stopping to snap photos of cool things like sunrays bursting through rime ice-covered trees I was grateful for everything I was wearing to keep toasty warm. I've even learned to be grateful for snow and ice...as long as it's in the mountains and not creating a hazard in my driveway. Winter. Bring it on!

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