The Depths o’ Winter in the Hills o’ Brown
~ by Mark Blackwell
Here we are again. The holidays are over and we are still in the grips of daylight-losing-time. Spring isn’ t due for three long months. This is what I call the depths of winter. I could just call it the depth of winter, but sure as I would, the next week would bring three feet of snow. There is not just one bottom level to winter— there are no real limits to its surprises. But what’ s a Brown Countian or a misplaced tourist to do?
What the county folk do after they finish all the chores to survive winter, like puttin’ the garden to bed, cleanin’ the chimney, splittin’ and stackin’ a few cords of firewood, takin’ down the Christmas lights, and searchin’ for the battery charger and jumper cables, they rest.
They don’ t rest for long, though, because the great outdoors beckons.
Most folks who live down here do so because they like being outdoors. That goes for visitors, too. Cabin fever strikes when nothing is happening, and it’ s totally quiet. Luckily, Brown County is blessed with hills, forests, trails, lakes, and ponds— so there is a lot to do.
What people like to do here in the summer can be just as enjoyable, or even more so in some cases, in the winter. Take hiking for example. As long as you wear appropriate clothing, you can be just as comfortable. You get to see the forest in winter. When there
44 Our Brown County • Jan./ Feb. 2019