CATCHING UP WITH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

I'm not a winter person by any stretch. Winter sports like skiing, skating, snowmobiling, sledding are just not my cup of tea. I get too cold, too fast to really enjoy them. Give me a bicycle! Pass the suntan lotion and give me a beach!
But this is Canada and winter is long....really long this year. Today I looked out beyond the mountains of snow in the backyard and caught a glimpse of my bike....waiting....waiting for me.
I'm looking out the back window. 
Staying inside where it is warm. 
I'm hibernating. Going to bed early and sleeping it out.
Now it is early February and I've volunteered to canvass for Heart & Stroke in my neighbourhood. Time to shake off my winter blues and get out there. 
I'm not much of a salesman but I believe in the cause as my Grandmother had a number of strokes, my mother has some heart issues and even my husband's ticker sometimes gets a little jumpy.
One of my favourite stops is a widow, well into his 80s, who loves to chat. We talk about his dog, how he is coping for the winter and he always mentions his wife who he still misses deeply. He is adorable. 
There is a new family who moved in with two young children. 
I find out one big house is empty as the 97-year-old who had been sticking it out there broke her wrist and it is not likely she will be able to come back to live independantly in her home.
I get to catch up with the neighbouring animals too. There is Max the hound dog, Chippy (a barky little thing) and I also meet a new fellow who's name is Barclay. Turns out he is just visiting as my neighbours are looking after him for a while.
"What's his name?" I ask
"Barclay, but I call him "Poopus Grandus".  Pretty clever if you ask me. 
I find out there is a red-tail hawk hanging around and rumours of a rare white peregrine falcon, which leads me looking up a lot as I walk.  
I also find one neighbour is hobbling about, waiting on the list for a new knee, while another had a heart attack at Christmas and just returned home from Bypass surgery in Kingston. She is doing well and her husband gave a very generous donation. 
I sometimes feel like I'm just being a bother but on the other hand, it never hurts to connect with people. 
So I'm getting out there, catching up on the news, connecting with my community and trying to avoid my inclination to hibernate. Sometimes you just have to push yourself.