Don’t get too cozy next to the fireplace with your usual favorite beverage on your next visit to Deep Creek Lake. The winter has consistently produced an abundant amount of snow and it shows no sign of giving up anytime soon. We all love Deep Creek Lake in the wintertime for the excellent skiing and snowboarding but don’t be afraid to step out of your normal routine on occasion and get out there and explore Garrett County and all it has to offer. Take a trip down to Swallow Falls State Park and go for a long walk around a magical winter wonderland where the waterfalls are frozen like arctic stalactites. I didn’t realize you could actually smell clean air and how invigorating it is. Get over your fear of the cold and get outside and discover a county that has an enormous amount of acreage set aside (never to be developed) for you and your family to enjoy. Load up the kids and the dogs and head down to Fork Run Recreational Area to walk the trails around the rock climbing areas. This is a great place to snowshoe in the wintertime after a huge snowstorm. Challenge yourself this New Year to excel in life and to live every day as if it was your last; let Garrett County be the catalyst for your change. I can’t think of too many areas in the world that offer you such picturesque scenery that pulls you back into nature and the feeling of being alive. Bob Dylan wrote in song once; “He not busy being born, is busy dying.” Make 2010 your year for living..