Last night as we drove to the spring to gather water for drinking and washing, I gazed up upon the hill that our little village resides. And I was surprised to see grass, yes grass. The sun had shown so brightly over the last few days that it had begun to dot our little tundra hill landscape with fluffs of old brown dead grass. And although it doesn't look like spring, it smells like. I took one deep breath after another. For the first time in six months I could smell the ground. It smelled... wet. But it smelled beautiful. It's amazing how something as small as a faint aroma can completely reinvigorate your emotions. But the smell of ground, fresh wet not-snow-covered ground, it's one of the most enlightening smells in the world. And I could spend an entire day after a long winter just breathing in that refreshing scent. All of the sudden, things are changing. And it happens quickly, so I always try to make a point to slow down and take every change in.
