Perspectives

In the past few years, it has become tradition to build a vision board with my friends. Together, we cut out pictures from magazines, organize them in a meaningful way, then glue them to poster board. This creation represents how we want our lives to look for the upcoming year.

Well, it's that time of year — time to set goals for the new year and promise ourselves we'll see them through. We all do it. We often set the bar too high. We promise to eat healthier, exercise more, perhaps read more books or take a class to enhance a skill.

It is curious how we develop affection for certain species in the natural world. Whether flowers, birds or butterflies, we all have our favorites. As with Daniel Boone long ago, I have a warm spot in my heart for a long-lived, slow-growing giant that enhances the character of eastern forests: the American beech.

If you think "cereal" can be classified as soup, we can't be friends. Really. If you see me on the street, just scoot on by. Don't make eye contact that will lure me into thinking you know where cereal belongs in your kitchen and where soup fits in your life. Don't say hello.

The calendar says it's still autumn, but I know winter when I see it. As I write this, there is snow on the ground, it's 30 degrees, and the weather station says there's a 30-mph westerly wind gusting to over 40. There are whitecap rollers in the bay and I'm loving Maine being Maine. But, for some reason, today's weather makes me think of a time long ago when Maine weather taught me a life lesson that I'll share with you.