Ever year about this time, I have the same thoughts.
How did early people survive the winter? Putting up food and laying in fire
wood was a must. If someone fell short in either of these areas it was sure
death.
Living in Wyoming, where we have four seasons,
winter always comes. Some winters are better than others but they always come,
and no matter how mild, in the old days, there was always a starving time.
I was able to take several nice walks in December
and as I walked I tried to observe what wildlife was still about. Then I looked
for anything else, anything edible, and there isn't much.
Native People, Mountain men, early settlers, those
were some tough people. A breed we will not see again.
In a society where a new video game is a great new
adventure and a new pizza crust excites a segment of the citizens, we have lost
touch with what it takes to be tough and along with it, maybe great.
 |
Cold - both physically and metaphorically |
These old time people survived and thrived in hostel
winters and against dangers and hardships that today we may not be able to imagine.
Only wish I could be so tough.
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| A Few Ducks Find Open Water |
2 comments:
I've often had the same thought myself. In prior eras, let alone in aboriginal times, winter meant something that we can't even imagine today. The wolf, literally, was at the door all winter long.
So true, the wolf was never far away. Here in the valley we have had a few nice days lately, in the old days they would have been hunting days.
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