Karen Wils photo Baby Robert with mid-winter cozy clothes. Happy birthday, Bob!

ESCANABA — Upper Michigan sparkles and shines and lets out a frosty breath in mid-winter.

Snow quilts the forest. Ice caps the rivers and bays. The whole wintry world moves at a slower pace.

Mid-winter means snowbanks, snowmen, ice fishing, sledding and ski trails.

There’s no better time for hot cocoa, herbal tea, coffee or a sip of homemade wine than after a long day outdoors.

Mid-winter is when you first notice the hours of daylight getting just a wee bit longer.

Native peoples held mid-winter pow-wows for many decades to break up the monotony of snow, frigid temperatures and the isolation of seasonal dwellings.

Cabin fever has been known to strike at this time of the year. Back in the pioneer days it was especially hard to get out and about in January. There often were too many snowy miles between the family farm and town.

But most true Yoopers have long developed many mid-winter coping skills. We have learned how to have fun in the snow and on the ice. We have made warm woolies, chooks, scarves, snow pants, long johns, sweaters, Sorel boots and Stormy Kromers into high fashion.

Mid-winter clothes are comfortable clothes with many layers. So don’t worry about those few extra pounds you put on during the holidays.

Meals at this cold time of the year are laden with more calories. Homemade bread with plenty of butter, venison stew with a rich gravy, veggies and rutabaga, soups, pasties and perch fries are some U.P. winter time favorites.

The ski hills and the snowshoe trails call to us right now when the woodlands are shrouded in white beauty. Even a hike down a country lane can fill us with the peaceful stillness of winter time.

Mid-winter is a time when much wildlife is hibernating. It is also a time of cozy quilts, fluffy slippers, flannel sheets, good books and favorite chairs.

We have always tried to make mid-winter a playful time at our house. There’s nothing cuter than watching a bunch of perky beagles bound through the snow in search of rabbits.

Snowshoeing into camp on a sunny winter’s day was always a fun adventure even when we had little kids to haul in on our backs or in the sled. Feeding the birds and fixing a simple lunch on the wood stove were highlights of the day.

Making a snowman or ice candles or having a campfire in the snow made lasting memories.

Another special thing about mid-winter at my house is it is birthday time for my son Robert. I recall so well the snowy walk I had the night before my son was born. My husband wondered why I couldn’t keep up with him.

Celebrating Robert’s birthday Jan. 28 with cake and coffee, family and friends (and usually a few fishing games) was a mid-winter joy. Sometimes we have not seen each other since the holidays.

Happy 24th birthday blessings to you, Bob.

Plan a little mid-winter outing or get together with your crew.

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.