Cabin Fever

It just doesn't seem right when the 20-degree mark is considered a "warm up."

After a few bitter cold days dipping below zero...I'll take it.

On this Sunday morning, sleepy neighbors are waking up to puffy flakes swirling down from the grey sky, and much of the neighborhood is blanketed with a fresh layer of snow.
It is both peaceful and serene, and yet it also leads to a feeling many of us in Northeast Ohio are used to, after the excitement of the holidays are over, "cabin fever."

I have to admit, the snow can be very pretty from the comfort of a warm home, but venturing out in it is a different story...it can be downright vicious.

I have a suggestion to try to appreciate it and the region you are lucky to live in (yes, even during our Lake Effect Snow-ridden winters.)

Bundle up (boots, hats, gloves, scarf, ski mask, umbrella...whatever it takes) and head to the beach.

So, it won't exactly be filled with warm breezes and rolling waves you are used to in the summer months, but when you get there you will feel like you have entered another world...

When the lake freezes over it looks like an arctic wasteland. Hills of jagged ice stretch out across the landscape where waves crashed and froze solid. Snow covers everything, blurring the line between sand and water.

(Safety tip-- if you aren't absolutely positive where the sand ends and water begins, don't stand near it...the ice may be very thin.)

During the summer, the beach can be a place filled with the sounds of the lapping water, seagulls flying overhead, kids digging in the sand, but in the winter (especially during a snowfall) everything is still.

Enjoy the quiet...and then when the cold begins to seep through your many layers of clothes...head back home and make your self a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Next time you're feeling bored, or trapped in your home, remember a trip to the beach is still an option...you just have to dig a little more this time of year to find the sand.