Good morning Blind wisdom seekers!

Did you know that snow is silent? I was reminded of that on Monday morning when we awoke to a wintery blast that saw the city shut down temporarily. One of the first signs for me is there is no traffic noise. Our bedroom faces the road and when I can’t hear any cars, that’s my first clue. My second is to ask someone of course but what I usually do is go downstairs and open the back door. On Monday I poked my foot out onto our back deck and swooshed it around whatever was there, keeping my other foot firmly planted on the kitchen vinyl.

I then ran my hand over our BBQ table and picked up a handful of snow that was now residing there. When I say snow, I mean more a compacted collection of hail stones that neatly matted together to form a mass. My enthusiasm for snow usually disappears very quickly once the cold sets in but not before I’ve taken that pile of snow and thrown it at something! I love the sound of it landing and scattering dramatically where it falls.

On Monday I took my digital camera with me and took the photo you can see here. It always astonishes me that I can acquire a pictorial record in this situation that differs so drastically from my own non visual experience. I find that astonishing given that everything I receive is through my fingers, nose, mouth and ears but on Monday, it was also through my camera!

Here is this week’s list of things my senses are grateful for:

1 the feel of the left over snow earlier today on our morning walk!

2 the sound of Sebastian’s voice as he shared with me his story of sliding down the street in the ice this morning. He said “I couldn’t stop Mum so I just kept sliding until I did stop!”

3 the smell of the hanks of wool my sister bought me at the Sunday market – Ron thought I was trying to sniff to tell the colours apart – I was sniffing because the fresh wool smelled so good!

4 the taste of the mandarins I bought on Monday night shopping! Num num num!

5 the sound of the two young boys singing last night on Britains got talent!

6 the taste of the beef stew we had for tea!

7 the smell of the moccachino I made Ron yesterday from one of those cool thin coffee sachets!

8 the feel of those cool thin coffee sachets!

9 the sound of the happy butchers at Leckies Butchery yesterday! Why are butchers so happy? Has anyone done any academic research on this?

10 the sound of the 4th year medical students asking me questions this week when I went to speak to them! The sound of youth! I love it!

I may not see but I can smell

And taste and touch and listen

And when I do this every day

I find my optimism!