first day

Wednesday, it's hard to begin. It was a little easier last year- I had company.
It's dark when I start, and the ground is slick with ice. I go carefully down the stairs and pick my way over the glazed snow. The many frozen patches are treacherous, barely visible in the breaking dawn. To be safe I switch from sidewalk to street, neither choice a sure bet.
Even so, I am happy again to start my walking.