“You can’t get too much winter in the winter,” wrote Robert Frost.

Call me crazy, but I agree with him. I love winter walks, and the snowier, the better.

I know what you’re going to say. “You wouldn’t make that statement if you lived in Buffalo, New York or Truckee, California.” And, of course, you would be right. But for this Texas Panhandle guy who only gets a white Christmas about every third year, I long for the snow, and I get out and walk in it when it falls.

By the way, Annabel Streets says walking in moderately cold weather is good for us. It produces “brown fat” (brown adipose tissue) which “exists to keep us warm and breathing—increasing our metabolism, regulating our appetite, improving our insulin sensitivity and halting the premature death of our cells.”

All that sounds good, but I don’t walk in the snow for my body.

I do it for my spirit.

“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?”
In the lane, snow is glistening.”

I’m guessing your spirit soars as done mine when you hear “Winter Wonderland.”

And notice that in spite of the reference to a sleigh (I think we all envision a horse and harness), the protagonist in the song—who is “happy tonight” at the “beautiful sight”—is walking not riding in the winter wonderland.

*By the way, the lyrics to Winter Wonderland were written by Richard Bernhard Smith in 1934. In 1947 they were altered to make it more of a children’s song than a romantic one. “Parson Brown” became “circus clown,” and they added a line about playing in the snow “the Eskimo way.” Over 200 artists have performed the piece. My favorites—Perry Como, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett. Least favorite—Elvis.

** This blog begins a four-part series about walking in all the seasons. However, I’m going to take a break from writing over the Christmas holidays. So I’ll see you in the opening days of January when my thoughts will turn to walking in the spring. Merry Christmas!