Huckleberries: For winter fun, nothing beats walking on water

I‘m not a fan of Old Man Winter. Three decades ago, I tried to make the most of winter in Montana’s Flathead Valley – ice skating, cross-country skiing, sledding, driving to Missoula to shake off cabin fever. Now, at age 57, I endure winter. Last year, I declared winter over Feb. 2, whether Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow or not. That helped my mental outlook. The arrival of Seattle pitchers and catchers for spring training in Arizona at the end of February helped more. However, D.J. Nall (a.k.a. Frum Helen Back), the chief cook and bottle washer of online Hauser Thoughts, offers another good idea. She shed the blues just in time for the current cold front by penning: “Top Ten Good Things That Happen When It’s Really Cold Outside.” In descending order, she lists: 10. Dog poop doesn’t stick to your shoes. 9. No need to lock the back door because it’s frozen shut. 8. The dogs don’t get on the sheets with muddy paws. 7. No need to worry about driving the car because it probably won’t start. 6. You don’t have to bathe the kids because the water pipes are frozen. 5. The house will get warm without electricity because it caught fire when you tried to thaw out the pipes. 4. If it gets below zero, you can entertain yourself by throwing water in the air and watching it freeze before it hits the ground. 3. Your nose doesn’t run when you go outside. (Warning: It runs like a faucet when you come inside.). 2. You get to buy new furniture because you use the old stuff for fuel in the wood stove when you run out of wood. And (drum roll, puh-leez) 1. You can walk on water.