Cold wind, warm sun.
Without my sunglasses, I would be blinded by the brightness. Wandering in a white desert, on the frozen sea. In the distance, a few scattered islets with plenty of holiday cabins waiting for the summer season. Somebody has plowed away the snow to make a road and there are tracks made by snowmobiles and skis but today I'm almost alone here in the silence of winter wilderness. Only one other person, a man who greets me cheerfully when we meet on the ice road - the companionship of two strangers alone in the middle of nowhere. As I turn back towards the city, I see a pale moon hanging over the apartment buildings on the shore.
I'm in a desert but nearby I see a power plant and an abandoned factory. I'm only a couple of miles from the city centre. Out on the sea. In a couple of weeks, the ice will be getting to thin for this. The seagulls are returning from the south - the sound of them calling to each other makes my heart melt, for this is the sound of spring. This is the magic of almost-Arctic winter turning to spring.
"Live a happy life!
Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
be alert for signs of his presence.
Remember the world of wonders he has made..."
(The Message Bible, psalm 105)
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