Memories....

The dark starry sky above the head felt like fairy lights twinkling......the trees had covered with snow,the glass flint floor was slippery and perfect for skating.....the snow smeared the glass window as I looked outside in the dark...

Uncle Joe often used to go for ice fishing during this time of the year.

"No need to stay inside during the long winter months waiting for the sun to come out and dreaming about open water and summer fun. Be adventurous, bundle up, get outside and try fishing through the ice!"he would say

He would bundle up and walk out onto a frozen lake on a clear and crisp winter day with his sled full of fishing gear,when he would find a perfect fishing spot, he would drill a large hole completely through the ice until he would see open water. Then with the ice chisel he would widen the hole,unpack the sled juggle with the special lures, jigging rods or tip-ups to catch the fish. Then we would pull out the portable seats to sit on so that we could look down the hole to see what's happening. Then, he would grab the skimmer to keep the hole clear of the ice and slush that forms during the day. I would watch him all the time.

When the line was set it was my turn to keep a close eye on it or watch for the flag on the tip-up to see if a fish is caught .

When our hands would get cold, we grabbed for the thermos of hot chocolate we bought along, "mmmm", just what we needed to warm up.

Once the flag tipped up and a fish was caught we ended up eating fish for lunch out on the ice, cooked on the small stoved we carried. What a great day of fishing!

Then was the time when the freezing cold wind started rushing at a fairly high speed,the frost would ooze out of nowhere lowering the temperature,the darkness would droop the blanket with the end of the day.

The biting cold winds would chatter our teeth .

We would slowly walk back to our shelter...our home.What we would look for was cozy,warm fireplace.

There was a big, orange fire burning in the fireplace. The windows were covered in snow as the ground was covered in a blanket of white. The trees swayed as a gentle breeze worked its way through them. Inside there was a faint smell of cinnamon in the air, wood was added to the fireplace.The cookies were done.The warm air filled the room as the sweet scent of chocolate covered the entire house. It was a nice, warm, night to relax .Uncle Joe and I were like friends.Sipping the hot coffee and nibbling the cookies made us go back to times and sweet memories.....

The snow would smear the glass window,sweet music would play in Uncle Joe's old gramaphone and I would wrap around the cozy blanket and fall asleep in the recliner.

The winter vacations were treat...when the day sky used to be clear and the warmth of the sun filled strength in us,gentle breeze felt frenzy.It was magic all around.The birds chirping all around created music soothing to the ears.

The trees would look fresh and sway along with the cold breeze...then we would know the spring was not long enough.

The sweet smell of the cinnamon and cookies filled the air.....and the soft music from the gramaphone shifted my thoughts to the real world.....I had been in thoughts and memories lingered on..

Uncle Joe left us for the heavenly abode....every moment spent with him during the winters seemed lively again.....with the time people gets old and our loved ones leaves us for ever.I would always miss Uncle Joe and his memories would linger on.

The snow smeared the glass window and the trees swayed as the cold breeze worked through them,the fire in the fire place burnt giving me the same warmth,I wrapped myself in the warm cozy blanket and let myself fall asleep in the cozy recliner.