As I opened the heavy metal door to the garage, on this the first day of winter, the sun warmed my face but did little for my frozen fingertips. A smile caught the edges of my lips. It was a beautiful morning.
But just as the daylight slaps a groundhog in the face when he awakes from his hibernation, the onimously grey mass of clouds covering a substantial amount, if not all of the sky slapped me in the face.
With no umbrella and a 30 minute hike home after my train trip, I knew Mother Earth was putting out a challenge. Would I make the trek home unscathed? Was I ready for battle?
On the train, I watched the clouds with an eager eye. They were neither building nor dispersing. This gave me hope. I kept asking myself the question... what am I going to do if the clouds open and the rain falls like it did on Noah?
Spewing forth from the train carriage, my two legs carrying me as fast as they could, I set off.
A patch of darker grey clouds appeared above me and the signs were not good. Then I paniced, I couldn't remember thinking of a plan should the rain start!
But like a beacon of light, dollops of blue sky fought their way through the low lying clouds and then like a miracle, the clouds started to thin like an old mans hair and I knew I had this won. But I couldn't count Mother Earth out just yet, I still had half the trip to go.
With all the gusto left in me, I trekked on nearing closer to the refuge of my four walls and roof, the threat of rain always looming.
Just like that I was under the saftey of my porch.
I got home with not a drop of water on me and the smile that licked the edges of my lips this morning and which had alluded me since, returned.
Mother Earth had to concede defeat - this time.
