Just another beautiful day - or is it?

The snow is still falling. All the trees are white. They look beautiful. If one has the luxury of staying home it is a nice day, but if you have to go out there onto the treacherous streets it is a different story. I can just imagine how the traffic is in the city. The highways are just as dangerous. Listening to the radio this morning, I was happy to be home. Cars in the ditches, accidents, long lineups. Today I'm staying home. I'm not really surprised when I hear about all those accidents and cars in ditches. People never learn. Every year is the same. With winter comes snow and icy conditions on the roads. Smart drivers slow down, the idiots keep on driving carelessly and end up in accidents and the ditches. Unfortunately, they usually also involve the cautious drivers.

We were on the road yesterday. The highway wasn't too bad, but I took a bit more time with my driving. I gave myself one hour for a trip that takes 30 minutes in good driving conditions. And I made it to my destination with 5 minutes to spare.

Of course, there were those drivers that didn't give themselves the extra time. They were in a hurry. The ones driving trucks were the worst. They probably had 4 wheel drive and felt safe. They passed me and by doing so they created a hazard for me (and all the other slower, cautious drivers) by swirling up the snow that had accumulated between the lanes. Every time one of them passed, my vision was obscured and I couldn't see the road in front of me. I had to slow down even more to avoid driving off the road. Most of those drivers seem to lack any consideration for other drivers. Not everyone drives a truck or a car with 4 wheel drive.

Every year I probably take the same picture from my yard. Here is another one I took this morning. The snow is still fresh and unblemished by tracks from birds or rabbits.

 

Yes, it is a beautiful day for us who are still alive and can enjoy it. Looking out at the fresh snow and the beauty of nature lifts my spirits. Unfortunately, sad news can dampen any good feeling. My son called me this morning and told me that one of his best friends committed suicide a couple of days ago. He was 43 years old. I've known my son's friend pretty much as long as he did. When our boys were still living at home, they had their friends over all the time. They were playing Dungeons and Dragons in our basement, which was built-out. All of their friends felt at home at our place, going to the fridge to get a drink or a snack and we were happy to have them. We knew where and how our sons spent their time...with good friends at our house. When my son told me about the suicide I got all choked up and I am still in shock. It is always sad to lose someone you've known for a long time. We don't know why he did it, but he must have had a good reason. Apparently, he left a suicide note on his Facebook page. I haven't read it, because I was not in his circle of friends. I hope he is happy now wherever he is.