This letter came from my father-in-law yesterday. I hope it inspires you to get out and enjoy the river and it’s natural beauty even when the weather is bitter. Bundle up!
Dear Laura,
This morning Bella (a golden retriever) and I walked down to Gallup and the river. The weather was bitter cold, especially when we faced the wind. The sun was shining at an angle onto the snow. The ducks, geese and swan were sitting comfortably on the river where the stream has not yet iced over. All around, the trees, benches, trash barrels and even the grills silently stood out in the snow, wanting to be noticed. Bella and I saw only one other walker-and she or him only from a distance. Otherwise the entire scene was our own. Time was standing still, it seemed. As I continued to gaze at this winterscape two words kept rising to the surface of my mind: how magnificent. As Bella and I approached the end of our walk together, I felt that she and I had been lifted up in a moment of ecstasy and awe. The bracing cold, even the wind chill, had become our friends, inviting us to return soon.
Were I a Robert Frost or Mary Oliver, I would be at this moment writing a poem. Instead, I wrote to this note to thank you and your staff for all you do to make such moments possible.
Love,
Chuck