Cold Treat

 

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the sun's still shining
When I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can't every day be just this good
Ah, yeah

                               --Travis Tritt

Every day, to be alive, is a great one.

Still, some rise to the top.

Yesterday was such a day for me. 

Again, all jubilation is relative to our individual circumstances.  

In one case, I have done more than my share of time in front of my upstairs desktop computer, waiting. 

I have waited, seemingly forever, on some days for a picture or and Internet site to load. Other days, these incidentals in the grand scheme of computer life have performed normally. 

I have defragged my computer and dumped bookmarked sites and deleted dozens of duplicate pictures. 

In each of these cases, the machine will work like a dream and then, for no unknown reason SLOOOOOWWWW down to the point that I do want to throw a hammer at it. 

Just when I'd get to that point, the computer would start behaving again.  So, I've dealt with this intermittent frustration for a long time. 

Yesterday, after downloading a new version of my web navigator, thinking I could speed things up a bit, I received a message which seemed to my tech-ignorant mind as so much gobbledy gook. 

The main problem to go along with the message was that I couldn't open my web browser. 

In a semi panic, I wrote a note to Joel, the computer wizard.  Including a picture of the message, I asked, "What does this mean, and how do I fix it?"

While waiting for Joel, I tried a couple of other shenanigans, which really screwed things up, including total disappearance of the web navigator icon. 

What to do?  What to do?  Besides the hammer?

Long story short, I went to another web navigator which had me go to the Microsoft store (instead of online like I'd always done in the past) and download Mozilla Firefox. 

I got a squeaky clean new version with just one potential problem---finding all my bookmarks and addressing/remembering the abundant password variations which I'd used over the years, to get into some of those sites.

Frustration was again setting in until I discovered that these navigators are much better than I at keeping track of things.  Happily most of my sites were found and transferred along WITH the passwords. 

In computer land, this morning, life is very good.  My new version of Firefox runs like a dream and I can easily access all of my favorite sites. 

So, that was one good thing that made yesterday turn out pretty neat. 

Another came in the afternoon when I was out in the hay field playing with the dogs who were happily cavorting atop the snow. Along came Bill, and he played with us for a while. 

"We should go over to Meserve's and see the pond some day," he said. 

"We should go today," I responded, adding,  "We aren't going to be able to walk on top of the snow very long as it warms up."  

So, Bill took the dogs to the house, came back and we walked over a portion of top fence wire buried in the snow. 

The sunshine was brilliant; the air cold but bearable. 

We found dozens of sets of elk tracks near the swale leading into the pond.  

More than likely, those were from the 31 elk our neighbor Terry had photographed last week, walking almost single file across their field.

We marveled, like we always do, at the old stumps along the swale and in and around the frozen pond.  Again, as I've said in other posts, those stumps could share some rich history. 

With all these elements bringing my senses alive, my emotions soared also. 

At one point, I told Bill, "This is probably the furthest I've walked in almost a year and a half, 'cept maybe in an airport." 

My gratitude this morning is soaring just like all the other elements did yesterday.  To be out walking and not hurting is the ultimate thrill for this ol' gal. 

We are both so grateful for the generosity of our neighbors to allow us to enjoy those massive fields surrounded by spectacular scenery and where critters cross, take a drink from the pond or swale and then move on. 

The short afternoon experience was, indeed a cold and wonderful treat, enhanced by a feeling of exhilaration, awe and deep-felt gratitude. 

Truly a great day to be alive . . . and to have a computer that will live to see another day!

Happy Tuesday.  May your day be great.