by Ronnee Ruselle

It was our first winter in Victoria, Australia. Previously I lived in warmer climates and have always had difficulty deciding which of the seasons was my favourite. I don't mind the cold and rain of winter, but being so far south I was not sure how we would respond to colder than usual temperatures.

I walked my daughter to school each day. It was about a half an hour there (allowing for her little legs to walk at her own pace) and about fifteen minutes back. In this day of cars and other forms of 'fast' and 'easy' transport, to many people it would seem a bother to take the walk, but every day for me is a journey of fresh air, sensations, experiences and more that the people driving by miss out on.

One morning we left talking about the time we might arrive at school and the things my daughter could do when she got there. We discussed how icy the air was that morning. The sun was shining brightly and proudly in the sky so it was quite a contrast to the temperature, but our bodies loved it. The combination of the fresh, chilly air and the happy bright sun made us feel alive - it was wonderful, but it was nothing compared to what we were treated with when we got out of the driveway.

One look all around on the ground and all we could see was white and diamonds. The ground along the side of the road that is normally showing green grass and weeds was overnight turned into what resembled a fairy wonderland. The big leaved weeds proudly displayed their dazzling coats of frozen dew. At first I thought I was looking at glass, but realized that it was in fact droplets of dew that had frozen into ice droplets. The sun shining down on them created what could be described as nature's 'bling' as each movement we made showed another shining flash of bright, clear light. A normal red and brown leaf laying on the ground was made special by the diamond-like edging it had from the frozen dewdrops.

As we walked to the school, so much of the ground was covered in a frost like that which builds up on the inside of the freezer. The sun shone on it, creating a crystalline fantasy world of beauty. It allowed me to feel the light-hearted simple wonder and love of the world around me that I had when I was a young child.

My daughter delighted in watching the steam that came with every breath she exhaled. It took me back to when I was a child and I did the same thing every day, every winter, all the way to school. It was freezing cold, but we didn't care - in fact, we almost didn't notice except for the way it would 'bite'. My legs were numb, but not enough to be painful, just enough to add another interesting sensation to my morning because it felt a little odd walking on legs that I couldn't feel.

When we arrived at the school, the mood was electric. Something about the day filled everybody with joy and excitement. The children were running around scraping the frost off the grass and shouting for their parents to look. Their parents laughed with happiness at how much fun their children were having.

Even though it was the coldest day so far that year, every single face in the school was smiling. People were wearing warm jackets and they had their faces wrapped with scarves, gloves on their hands and even a little baby peeked out from above the zipper on her mother's jacket to view the world from her perspective. People commented on the chill, but even those who dared to complain, did so with a big smile, not meaning a word of it. Another parent said that the signs told of a beautiful day ahead.

The bell rang and it was time to return home after saying my farewells to my daughter and the other parents. I was pretty excited to get back to enjoying the sparkle of the grass and the leaves on the walk home. I laughed at the drop of water that had melted to land on the top of my head. I was slightly regretful that the joy that nature had given to all that morning would soon disappear with the continued sunshine, but of course the sunshine itself was beautiful and brought its own cheer. I decided that, at least for that day, Winter was my favourite season.

The most sobering thought I had while quietly reminiscing about the sensations, sights and emotions I'd felt that morning is that I would have experienced none of it if I hadn't been walking.