It's one of those days. Life is still and silent. Sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea I look outside from the window in the backyard. It's white and quiet. The green vines lending color to the grey fence. The ground covered with snow create an illusion of being amidst the clouds unless I look out the windows facing the front. The asphalt streets washed with last night's rain and flanked by steel grey cars, tell a different story. Which view should I believe in? The one that I look out in my backyard or the one that lies in front. The view in the backyard - the clinging vines, the grey fence, the tall dark green trees and the fluffy snow all remind me something of my past. In some form or the other they have been my friends and enemies. What I really miss in this scene is the koohoo bird, the kids playing in the garden. All that will change as the winter comes to an end and the flowers bloom bringing the spring. As the spring approaches this white-grey scene will be dotted with colorful escapes. But until then I must learn to respect the stillness of the snow which gives me an illusion of living among the clouds ready to transport me in a fantasy world.