I read your "Halifixes '08" wish list (Jan. 3). Then I walked to the library and passed the Public Gardens. I, too, had asked some of the people working in the gardens in September why it had to be closed for the winter. Their explanation, like Peter Bigelow's, convinced me that it was not feasible. After last night's snowfall, looking through the wrought-iron fence at the soft, quiet, white space with no footprints---only the scribblings of ducks and geese---I am convinced it should stay closed. Everything in it belongs there.
Winter is a time of rest---the only one nature gets. I didn't have to be "in" it to enjoy it, just as I don't have to be on or in the ocean. That's why the earth is ravaged. It's all about us. A little delayed gratification is good for everyone. Wait for it...spring's joy is the ebbing of winter. Spindly black tree branches against a grey sky, ice and snow with just a hint of water at the edge of the pond, a little mist rising, and the birds who missed the last bus south---beautiful. It made me smile---a bit of peace. Let her rest.
By Judy Savoy
