For nearly two weeks winter’s grip on the land of enchantment relaxed; spring seemed just over the next hill. Now the reality of the season returned as we knew it would, but these are February storms and we had a break from the severity of winter. Short-lived storms interspersed with hints of spring are blowing through the region; we may be walking in the mud, but the sun shines on our faces.
    

     Winter so far has been very tolerable, even a few high points. Most of the season is behind us and soon will be history; a few memorable moments that may become stories for some long winter night in the future. The ancient story-tellers used carved stones, small clay sculptures, and such to remind them of old legends and histories. We all have such reminders; souvenirs of all sorts show up in our lives. Some are intentional: boxes of stuff, photographs, T-shirts, seashells. A lifetime’s collection of treasures as unique as the individual doing the collecting. Some souvenirs are accidental: a distinct smell on the breeze, a particular song bouncing in from the satellites, an unusual feeling sneaking in from some unknown place.

 A drawer full of T-shirts in need of folding takes me to dozens of fire camps and wildfires throughout the West. I wonder about some of the hundreds of people I met, worked with, laughed with, and parted to our separate ways expecting to meet again on some other fire.
    

 A carved wooden bowl containing white Gulf coast sand and seashells puts me back on a 7000 mile roadtrip. Our ultimate goal was the Alabama coast, but Louie and I went by way of Cape Cod. I did eventually have a beer at the Flora-Bama, and Louie peed in the parking lot. “Take the Weather with You” was Jimmy Buffett’s newest album and became the official soundtrack for the journey.
  

  I like to believe that the ancient people that lived hereabouts for the last thousand years or so would have enjoyed the winter season. At least in times of good harvest. A season of relative rest, story-telling, projects around the pueblo, and planning for the approaching spring planting. It’s what I’m doing, even made my early order from Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co.
    

  We dance now outside, Spring is getting closer. We dance in the warm sunshine and gooey mud. Some days they add a new step: the dog with the most muddy prints on my jeans wins. Or so they think.