Winter Reading..... Light

On a freezing winter day.......you can meet Snow White or The Little Match Girl on your way. I wonder what is much closer to your heart. It was freezing and heavy snow was falling. People walking by, were passing her indifferently. Unfortunately nobody needed matches. In the evening she closed her eyes for a while, and when she opened them again, she saw a huge fireplace with a fire burning cheerfully. The girl looked up to the starlit skies with more wishes......for a moment they were fulfilled. 

If you are looking for some warm and light why not to start with legends and folklore of the Northern Lights. The aurora borealis or northern lights are a phenomenon that is not completely understood. You can see this phenomenon either on Spitsbergen or Alaska. The Polar night starts from November until February. The summer with constant daylight commence from late April until August.

The aurora gets its name from the Roman goddess of dawn. One legend describes the lights as flaming torches carried by travellers to the afterlife.
What is special about them is their beauty and different visual patterns.
I wander what will you do in Christmas time celebrate or read? Perhaps both?

                                                            Starlings in Winter

by Mary Oliver

Chunky and noisy,

but with stars in their black feathers,

they spring from the telephone wire

and instantly

they are acrobats

in the freezing wind.

And now, in the theater of air,

they swing over buildings,

dipping and rising;

they float like one stippled star

that opens,

becomes for a moment fragmented,

then closes again;

and you watch

and you try

but you simply can't imagine

how they do it

with no articulated instruction, no pause,

only the silent confirmation

that they are this notable thing,

this wheel of many parts, that can rise and spin

over and over again,

full of gorgeous life.

Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us,

even in the leafless winter,

even in the ashy city.

I am thinking now

of grief, and of getting past it;

I feel my boots

trying to leave the ground,

I feel my heart

pumping hard, I want

to think again of dangerous and noble things.

I want to be light and frolicsome.

I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,

as though I had wings.

Warming winter recipes - When the strawberries will blossom on the North Pole

One should not forget to feed birds on a winter time.  Among seeds that attract a wide variety of birds are: sunflower seeds (especially black oil sunflowers seeds), white millet. One should not forget about water. It is a great gift. They need it even in a winter. Birds love also suet. So this is one more delicious meal for them.

Did you know that...

It snowed in the Sahara desert on February 18, 1979.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPkop9eziBw

Clothing in Frigid Condtions

Clothing in Frigid Conditions - Some Basic Principles
Remember that clothing in frigid conditions should serve to accomplish the following:
1. Keep the body warm. This is especially true for the outer extremities like fingers and toes.
2. Allow perspiration to disperse.
3. Allow free movement.
4. Be comfortable.
Thus, here are some guidelines that can help to accomplish this.
Guideline 1 - Generally it is better to have several layers of lightweight clothes than one or two larger layers. One reason for this is because several layers allow for good ventilation. Thus, the area between layers can serve to trap air which acts as good insulation.
Further, this may serve to foster free movement and comfort more easily than huge and puffy clothes. And one section of clothing may serve to shield the rest from unwanted moisture more easily.
Guideline 2 - Have boots. This one would seem obvious. However, the type of boot should fit your environment. For example, if you're a Floridian surrounded by swamps that are suddenly very cold and slushy, you might want to have some type of high waders in case you have to travel in such areas. Just remember that your feet and toes are at extreme points on your body. Thus, cold that halts blood flow will attack these areas first.
Guideline 3 - Have gloves. Remember, it is important to protect your furthermost extremities; in this case, your fingers.
Guideline 4 - Protect your face. Having goggles can shield your eyes from the wind and possible UV rays depending on your situation. If somehow you're caught in an area that is cold in summer, sun screen may also be prudent.
Guideline 5 - Find a shelter. This is probably the most important piece to the puzzle. People in frigid climates often survive by sheltering themselves during the worst times (nighttime, for example). If you can find your way to a cave, do so. If a safe shelter- even a broken down one- is available, then go for it. Same if you have an insulated tent. If you really want to plan for something like this- for example, perhaps you're going out into the wilderness- then get your hands on the following to shield you from the elements where you lie: a butyl ground sheet, inflatable mattress and sheepskin. Further, a double insulated sleeping bag is recommended.
Remember, in the end, something is better than nothing.
A Final Point: Watch One Another
by James Roberts - SecretsofSurvival.com –http://www.secretsofsurvival.com

How do we travel in winter? Share Your experience?

Winter is a time when you surprisingly have to leave your transport and experience a foot walk which is a game on chance. Have you walked on foot to work or school this winter.....

An Emergency Survival Kit for your Car

Have you ever heard about the In Case of Emergency Programme (ICE)?

But before you call for help what could you have at hand in your car?

...extra clothes - socks, gloves and hats,
flashlight and extra batteries,
blankets,
waterproof matches and candle,
tools: knife, screwdriver, pliers, wrench, rope, small shovel, broom,
small can - to melt snow for drinking water,
local maps,
set of tire chains,
bottled water,
food - e.g. nuts, dried fruit, energy bars, chocolate
cell phone with fully charged battery,
first aid kit - and know how to use it.

Hopes and fears

Hope is often interwoven with fear. Fear that I will miss something, I will lose something, that something will not happen. A fearful hope is a threat for hope. The most dangerous is being indifferent for your own fate. This is like lost hope. It is better to look for the reverse of it.

Luckily hope wakes everyday. “How beautifully it is in the morning when not all has happened yet and all may happen (just take it!)”. Agnieszka Osiecka. Hoping, waiting, longing is a very reasonable and human like thing.

Have a Merry Christmas٭

How to survive winter cold