It seems appropriate that I begin a blog on Christmas day as I have so much to be grateful for this year.

A week ago, I was one of over 500,000 people without electricity for 8 days from a most impressive ice storm in New England. Waking from the sound of trees breaking all around was one of the most fearful experiences I have ever had in nature.

This photo is one of many I took the morning after the storm. Ice covered branches in sunlight is an awesome sight yet so destructive! I wonder what the animals in the woods and fields do in such storms?

I found myself being creative in the challenge of living in darkness with no running water. I was one of the lucky ones who still had heat. Each day my discouragement, disorientation and disappointment grew. Living simply by candlelight, filling buckets from the stream to flush toilets and leaving behind most daily comforts was exhausting. My solace and my company throughout were my animals and what great companions they are!

Power and lights were restored just before the Solstice, when light naturally begins its return in nature! I am grateful that I had lights to come back on. My prayer today is that all those still without power and light all over the world find peace and comfort in each other and celebrate the return of the light in nature!