LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 7 A M E S S A G E F R O M R H I A N N O N LOCALadk As a child, my elementary classmates and I often played the various fortune teller games universal to the single-digit aged life. The swirl of a pencil tip, a randomly selected number, or the lifting of a carefully crafted paper-paneled contraption — aptly referred to as an "origami whatsit" by David Astle of The Sydney Morning Herald — would tell you with certainty who you would love, where you would live, what your ca- reer would be, and how many children you would have. I can still hear the snickers of my peers when one such "origami whatsit" experience promised me a future with forty-seven children in tow. Even at an early age, I felt an immediate sense of calm joy whenever my fortune predicted a life in the mountains, even if forty-seven children could be involved. More space for them to roam, I sup- pose. Dreaming of what that life would look like, my dream-mountains were always Adirondack-esque: var- ious greens capturing the sunshine, the rocky peaks appearing above treeline, with rivers and streams trickling like silver threads throughout the region. It is a scene fit for the backdrop of Edvard Grieg's classic composition, "Morning Song." Now living here, the Adirondacks have many months during the year of living up to my childhood pastoral imaginings. But there also exists the very real reality of winter in a mountain town, a season that can live up to its formidable reputation. Whenever I visit my hometown of Syracuse, NY, news of my living in the Adirondacks receives the same two responses, often in this order: I am the luckiest per- son on earth to live in such a magical place, and I am insane for willingly enduring Adirondack winters. "How do you survive?!" I am asked by a concerned loved one. They imagine ripping winds, ice-encrusted eyebrows as we battle frigid negative temperatures, and air so cold that it seems to take the air from your lungs. And, on some days, they are right. But there are also the days where the sun glistens on freshly fallen snow, the peaks stand proudly against a blue bird sky, and the air is so still that the cloud of your breath hov- ers like a poem frozen in time. Our winters are all of these things and more, and we find the wonder in all of it. There is something special about a community that inherently understands how to adapt and forge ahead, how to embrace the vast- ness of this season with understanding and accep- tance. It creates an unspoken essence of strength and resolve, of joy and wonder. We at LOCALadk Magazine are grateful to have the opportunity to bring you stories of that very same strength, resolve, joy, and wonder from within that very same community. We thank you for your readership, and we look for- ward to bringing more stories to you in the year ahead, celebrating this magical land we are fortunate to call home. As always, we encourage you to support the wonderful and talented local businesses throughout the Adirondacks whenever possible. It is through their continued support that we are able to bring LOCALadk to you and yours as a free publication. Rhiannon Have a warm and joyful season, Editor

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