I am spending the holiday in the Mississippi Delta with my pal S., her parents, two dogs, and my bicycle. I’ve been here before, but today after a delicious breakfast and present opening (how did you know I would love that old postcard of Le Petit Theatre in the Quarter!), I took the bike out for my first ride. I took a left out of the driveway and just rode and rode, crossing the Sunflower River, passing empty field after empty field, staring up at endless cloudy skies. I saw cardinals and blue jays and other little birds I couldn’t name. (Somebody should give me a field guide to nature for Christmas next year.) The view was so empty, except for the occasional stand of trees or ones like this–solo by the side of the road. I saw five cars, two dogs, and a whole lot of beer cans, but mostly I felt like I might be the only person in the world. And I liked it. I turned back around to make it home for dinner, and those headwinds, with no breaks, gave me the opportunity to discover gears I never knew I had. A Delta Christmas just keeps on giving.