There were days, not so very long ago, that I was out the door at the sun’s first rays, tripping down to Council Point Park to enjoy this little gem tucked away in the middle of the city. I really long for those days, even though the walks I took during the last six weeks of 2013 were a struggle to get the final 25-30 miles done to achieve my 500-mile goal. The latter miles were steps taken, for the most part, in boots, not walking shoes, and in conditions which were hardly conducive to an enjoyable walk – bitter cold, blustery winds, black ice on the walking path and frequent snow squalls. It has been nearly three months since I was walking daily and those delightful 6,000 to 10,000 daily steps accumulated very quickly by tripping out the door and trekking to my favorite spot. Soon thereafter it was a hit-or-miss, mere mile or two tromping around in the snow to get my mileage in to meet my year-end goal. Now, each trip is a slog around the house or to the garage and the description is more like traipsing or trudging. It is not just the unwillingness to venture out in the never-ending cold or snow, but to be more precise, the trudge these days is taken in baby steps. Last Saturday’s freezing rain created glare ice which surrounds my house like a moat. It is an obstacle I must cross in order to get around the front of the house to run the car or to check the furnace pipe. I have quit going into the backyard as it is “slickery” for lack of a better description, and I worry about falling. Ice melt products or salt will do no good in this cold weather, so I will just grin and bear it ‘til we get a thaw. In the interim, gone is that confident stride from my walking days, replaced by the more sure-footed approach, using baby steps to thwart “the slide”.

After I ran the car in the garage, I gazed down the street on a sleepy Saturday morn. There was no activity to be found since most everyone was sleeping in after a long week of battling Winter miseries during their respective work commutes. Everyone was sleeping, that is, except the neighbors, like me, in close proximity to the golden retriever with the weak kidneys two doors away. My deep sleep suddenly was suspended with a series of sharp, staccato-like barks … a rude awakening to be sure. He kept it up, no doubt miffed at his pet parents having left him out too long in the snow and cold. They probably went back to bed. Well, I wanted to growl too … right back at him and his owners. I reached over and looked at the clock – I could get up and be a little productive, but no, it was Saturday so I rolled over. But sleep failed me and I stayed in bed just a little longer, listening to the tick-tock of the two alarm clocks on my bedside table and the chime of the kitchen clock at the top of the hour. Reluctantly I got up, even though there was no walk beckoning me and there was certainly no lure to going outside to what I now refer to as “the daily trudge” … in fact, my reluctance to go out very much resembles my lack of eagerness to get out in the yard and pull weeds when it is steamy like a jungle. Well, you won’t hear me whine about the heat and humidity this Summer. No siree!

After my mission was accomplished for my outside chores, it started snowing lightly as I headed down the home stretch toward the side door, hanging onto the brick wall along the way for dear life. A sudden movement in my neighbor Marge’s backyard caught my attention. A small animal’s head peeked up from a mound of snow, then popped back down again. Amused, I stepped over to the gate and stood on tiptoe, using the gate to brace me while I peered into the far corner of her yard. I did not dare attempt to walk to my backyard as the ice is even worse beyond the gate, so this spot would suffice. Soon, the little head poked up again and I recognized the animal was a rabbit – a rabbit, with the shortest ears I’ve ever seen. I guess he was staying back and scoping out the situation. The situation was that “breakfast” had just been served. Ahh, now I comprehended why he kept playing peek-a-boo in the snow piles. He was awaiting his turn. I glanced over to Marge’s back deck which was strewn with tidbits for the backyard critters. But I didn’t see any carrots or greens or rabbit treats. Query: what do rabbits eat for treats? (Keep reading and you’ll find out.) All Winter long Marge has supplied fresh birdseed and suet, brimming over in their respective holders, and she has regularly treated the squirrels with raisin bread spread with peanut butter. Marge’s computer is set up next to her door wall and she often regales me with stories of the menagerie of furry and feathered munchins making merry and munching down in the yard while they feed on her goodies. Just last week she sent me close-ups of the squirrel and that short-eared rabbit. Well, I figured I’d wait and see what that bunny set his sights on. I must have just missed the beginning of “feeding time” while I was out front because now the birds were all aflutter and the feeder was rocking back-and-forth as they chirped, twittered and buzzed around looking for a landing spot. Several sparrows were already perched daintily on the sticks which line up with the holes up and down the feeder nibbling contentedly. A couple of squirrels were on the deck floor already and another pair were scampering around chasing one another, then after a few games of tag went racing back to Marge’s deck where an array of raisin bread spread with peanut butter awaited them. Then the rabbit, cautiously at first, crept up to the deck and began eating. I strained against the gate trying to catch a glimpse of the action, but the magnolia bush and mounds of snow pushed from the deck floor thwarted my attempts to get a good gander at the goings on. Well I’ll be darned … I’m here to tell you that bunnies like birdseed. That little critter was licking or lapping up birdseed spilled by our feathered friends when they piled on one side causing the feeder to sway and teeter. He ate his fill, twitched those short ears, then politely stepped aside, waiting in the wings for more spilled seed or something else that suited his fancy. I was mighty cold by then and everyone had their fill of food, so I stepped aside and turned the key in the lock to head indoors. As I shut the door on the cold outside, I realized those birds and their buddies sure were not letting the cold, snowy and bleak morning contribute to their Midwest Mid-Winter blahs … they were making the most of their morning and lovin’ every minute. I think perhaps we could take our cue from them.