I left my home today by mid-afternoon after deciding to walk to my parent's house to visit and to celebrate my mom's 78th birthday. By the time I had walked to the end of our driveway, I went back inside our house to add my Yak-Trax to my trail runners and rubber tips to the ends of my trekking poles. I had to be alert during today's hike because ice missiles were coming down in a fury. I post holed through people's front yards to avoid the busy roads. The snow piles were still frozen and high for Cincinnati, some being a foot or two tall due to the snowplow buildup. My first stop was at Walgreen's to purchase a belated birthday card for my mom. I also picked out a box of dark chocolate covered cherries, one of mom's favorites, and a Diet Mountain Dew for myself. I stuffed my purchased items in my plush ladybug backpack and continued on my journey to mom and dad's. The temps ranged from the mid-20's to the low 30's and I was quite content throughout my winter hike. I wore a pair of Stormsocks to keep my feet dry and an additional pair of Smartwool socks. Not a day goes by without someone or something providing me with some form of inspiration. On this day, I crossed paths with a hunched back elderly man wearing tights/shorts/running shoes and moving forward at about 1 mile an hour. I was impressed with his dedication and wondered to myself what his motivation was to get outdoors to enjoy the beautiful wintry day. We exchanged smiles knowing each other's passion to be outdoors. I have seen this man before exercising in inclement weather. He is a dedicated and active outdoors man. I moved over snow mounds using my poles for balance and enjoyed tramping in schoolchildren's boot prints. Their paths were random at times, but fun to follow. I was able to get lost in my thoughts after a brief business call. My thoughts kept reminding me that I was carrying a full box of chocolate covered cherries, and as tempted as I was, the box remained unopened. I stopped by my brother Jim's house to discover that he wasn't home. "Oh well, I thought to myself." "I'll leave a little surprise for him." So....I set down my plush ladybug backpack and my hiking poles to find the perfect spot. I walked gingerly over the icy snow and then plopped down on my back in his front yard. I moved my arms and legs up and down and side to side to create what I wanted to be a perfect snow angel. Done! It looked darn good and I gingerly walked away with pride. I arrived at my parent's house and was greeted at the door. I asked both of my parents to go to their bay window in their backyard. It was there that I created a second snow angel; one that they could enjoy from their dining room window. I made snow angels for my sister outside of her hospital room when she was dying from breast cancer. Today though, a snow angel celebrated mom's birthday with me, dad, and my husband, Bruce. And so did a plump rabbit as we watched it hop through their beautifully landscaped yard towards a running creek. Bruce and I listened to mom and dad tell funny stories before it was time to call it a night. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you both.

Total miles to mom and dad's...5

Total value in my visit...priceless!