A few hours ago I was frustrated to find the cold water pipe in our downstairs bathroom frozen. We have heat coils on the pipes, but on this crisp ten degree night the three inch section that I couldn't stretch the coils to was ready and willing to freeze. I cursed under my breath and debated whether I should change out of my pajamas and make the journey into the crawl space or take my chances on the pipe bursting. I'm trying hard not to take too many chances.
I decided to make the journey a bit more enjoyable by taking out my Ipod along with the blow dryer. Earlier today I'd been listening to an old episode of 'On Being,' with Krista Tippett interviewing one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver. As I stepped out into my backyard I had to turn off the Ipod. I could actually hear the cold ringing loud and clear and it was beautiful. The pitch was coming from the small stretch of woods behind our house. I walked back and noticed how beautiful the creek looked. It was only frozen in spots, while other sections were flowing on this frigid night. I stuck my hand into the water and it didn't feel that cold. The ringing was coming from the trees and it was exceptional. I was happy to be outside and didn't feel a bit cold. I walked in the creek for a few hundred feet and observed the beautiful movement of flowing water and ice. Eventually I made my way over to the crawl space and got to work on heating the pipe. I put on my Ipod only to hear the wise words of Barbara Kingsolver: "The changes we dread most may contain our salvation." Yep.
