Just before Christmas, the new, remastered edition of the Mountain Air CD arrived on my doorstep. Thanks to Alan Bartenhagen, it has a fresh new sound and thanks to Jan Conradi, it has a fresh new look. I celebrated the holidays at home with my wife and daughter and had a wonderful time, thanks to my family and friends. Hope you did, too.

And then fresh snow arrived in abundance after a mostly green December in Western New York. After shoveling out, I filled the feeders around the house with sunflower seeds. Some birds came over right away and thanked me the only way they could --- with their songs. Shovel in hand, I continued around the backyard releasing the heavy weight of snow from the cedar branches and they thanked me the only way they could --- with their fragrance. I was warming my hands when my father's voice suddenly caught my imagination: "Don't walk with your hands in your pockets. You'll crack your skull." I could hear him clear as day telling me I needed to keep my hands and arms free for balance in case I tripped or slipped on some ice. I thanked him the only way I could --- by remembering.