Page 8 - ESCARPMENT MAGAZINE | Winter 2013

Recently, I was enmeshed in a spirited conversation with my 5 year old
grandson. We were immersed to our chins in the warmth of the hot tub with ski
toques covering our ears — the winds whipping and howling around us. Giggling
like I was five too, I made a casual remark about Mother Nature and her moods.
Well, that was all it took.
“Who is Mother Nature?” piped Jasper.
Who indeed? Try explaining this concept — even to yourself. Suddenly, I was
trapped in the middle of a conundrum and while swirls of snowflakes, (caused
by you-know-who), meshed with curling streams of steam, I attempted to form a
plausible answer. I talked in generalities about the seasons and how each has its
own personality, just like people we know. I’m not really sure how well I handled
the concept of personification but he seemed to be nodding his head in polite
understanding - or perhaps he was just shivering.
Then we got into the whole topic of moodiness. So, being careful not to link it too
closely with Motherhood or the fact that we were discussing a female, I suggested
that most living things have moods. He bought it. He even had some pretty funny
examples of his own and then in the blink of an eye, we went from dissecting
Mother Nature to laughing about her cousin Jack Frost — what an imp.
“What’s an imp?”
Moments like that are just one of the wonders I love about Winter. It presents us
with opportunities — unexpected delights. Just the thought of Winter and its lifelong
companion, Snow, makes us all children again. With this thought in mind, we have
gathered stories and prepared features incorporating the magic, and have bundled
them into this issue. You’ll be inspired.
Throughout this year, we are continuing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this
publication. It’s been so much fun, we want the party to last. Thanks for being here
and most especially thank you for picking us up. We believe we’ve given you
ammunition enough for a whole Winter of spirited conversations.
“What’s spirited?”
DEENA DOLAN FINDLAY
EDITOR|PUBLISHER|DESIGNER
VIEWof the escarpment
25 y e a r s
8 Escarpment Magazine Winter 2013
escarpment