I've been feeling like a bear lately, in that when it gets really cold, I don't want to do anything. I just want to go to sleep. Not the best time to be feeling this way when we are launching some new initiatives in a month. I partially blame the snow day we had mid week and then hosting some fellow urban ministry practitioners, which while it was enjoyable, got me out off track with the tasks at hand. Now it is Friday and the weekend is approaching, but there is work to be done. And so I push on.

I cannot wait for March. Usually March in Michigan means less snow or sometimes no snow! The weather gets warmer and people are out in the neighborhood. We don't see a lot of people when it gets cold. They only come out when they have to go somewhere. Add the fact that our city does not plow our residential streets and few sidewalks are plowed and that can make it even less attractive for someone to leave their home.

It makes me wonder if we need some winter service projects to improve the neighborhood. In other areas and during other seasons, we step up and take care of things that the local government is usually responsible for. That is not the case here. Our city is shrinking and the services are following suit. So, are there ways which we can improve our neighborhood in the Winter months? Are there groups of people who can shovel sidewalks, clear roads, salt walk ways? Should someone invest in a snow plow? And what of our neighborhood's homeless?

I used to think that the cold months are perfect for planning and indoor activities/programs, but now I wonder if there is more to be done.