Tough For Tough Winters

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.
A Few Ducks Find Open Water

2 comments:

Pat, Marcus & Alexis said...

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.

Neil A. Waring said...

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.