The next week was a rough one.

The weather was calling for three feet of snow at a minimum and as much as seven. El Nino was going to grace us with his presence and additionally a cold front coming off of the Great lakes was coming in conjunction. I phoned Samantha and told her to stay in Boston. Even they were supposed to get at a minimum, two feet.

The temperatures were also low. I found myself on Monday morning shoveling out the driveway at the cabin. There was already eighteen inches behind my car at 5:45 AM. It had been snowing at a steady clip all evening.

On my break at 10:00 AM, I called Samantha to see what the weather was like there. She was still aiming to come to Vermont as in Boston, the schools were already closed until Wednesday. I cautioned her to stay however, and enjoy a few days off with her friends.

I made it into to work each day, donning coveralls each morning. I had been smart enough to buy some decent work boots and some coveralls to allow me to work more comfortably in the barrel room. And of course, each nite I would spend time in the chemistry or biology lab at Vermont Tech.

Since our hiccup; better known as Abigail, we had not skipped a beat. Abigail never returned; and if she did, I was in a different locale in Vermont anyway. I didn't miss her, but I suppose I would call the experience intriguing. Perhaps it was part of the greater plan. As I matured over the winter, I spent many a moment in reflection. Especially while working at Bent Hill, I spent time in constant reflection. It was not that the work was menial and dull, rather that it was a consistent process which allowed time for my own thoughts to enter.

I thought of Samantha, my family and my own journey. I had come to realize that nothing happens by coincidence; rather, that everything happens for a reason. And while I was still figuring out those reason daily, all was well in the world at this very moment.

The snow fell and fell, and day by day the amount grew.