Icewind's Ramblings

I was driving to work the other day which happened to be the winter’s solstice. It was about 7:00 am so there were still several hours of darkness before the light of a new day would be peaking over the Chugach mountain tops. It was a colder morning with the outside temperature of minus five below zero and overnight on my side of town there was ice fog so everything was covered in that beautiful crystal white look that sparkles as any light shines on it. I had warmed my rig and left the house making my way down the Glenn highway and past Merrill Field on 5 th Avenue . Traffic was normal for this time of the morning as there were many vehicles making their way into downtown at a speed of about thirty miles per hour. The several coffee stands were crowded as usual with four or five rigs waiting for that much needed cup of coffee. Peggy’s restaurant looked empty but there was the current list of Peggy’s Pies that were available that day. Hopefully her pies sell as the...

I am sorry to say that there were three men who died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. "In honor of this holy season" Saint Peter said," You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven." The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. "It represents a candle", he said. "You may pass through the pearly gates" Saint Peter said. The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, "They're bells." Saint Peter said "You may pass through the pearly gates". The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's panties. St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And just what do those symbolize?" The man replied, "These are Carols." Hap...

Winter, it's finally here. Break out the Sorel boots to battle the footsy elements outside while L.L. Bean coats battle to keep in those upper body temps. Snow is starting to pile up. Slowly at first but it is getting deeper by the hour. Waking up around 4 am this Christmas morning and seeing the snow falling was so peaceful. I like how the ambient light grows outside when it snows at night. I can almost tell how hard it's snowing, based on the light coming in from outside the windows. Rocking in my recliner . . . I can see the glow outside . . . the fire in the fireplace cast shadows in the darkness as the snow falls deep around my wrap around deck and holds the winter light reflected from the heavens. The log glows in the fireplace, the occasional ash dropping through the grate, sending up quiet sparks in the darkness. It is quiet and peaceful in the darkness other than the faint snoring of my wife who fell asleep on the sofa last night. I sit just watching th...

In our troubling times that we live in today and the uncertainties that face many peoples and nations, I am reminded of an earlier time in a place called “No Man’s Land” during World War I. During that time an act of humanity happened that went beyond rank and reason . . . and so . . . * The truce began on Christmas Eve , December 24 , 1914 , when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres , Belgium , for Christmas . They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols , most notably Stille Nacht ( Silent Night ). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols. The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the " No Man's Land " where small gifts were exchanged — whisky , jam , cigars , chocolate , and the like. The artillery in the region fell silent t...