What is that in the darkness?

Driving home last night I noticed the snow falling and the piles of it plowed off to the side of the road. But not really, it hasn't snowed down here yet, we have had frost and some thoughts of rain freezing, but we aren't in the ski slopes and at elevation so no snow. The Christmas lights going up all around are what takes me away to snows in Minnesota and Pennsylvania and Germany and Korea - I have memories of Christmas Lights and snow, church bells and snow, cold and hot cocoa or some strange canteen cup full of instant coffee, creamer, sugar and Swiss Hot Chocolate mix -- wanting to drink it before it got cold and wanting it to last all night since it warmed me so well. Mickey Mouse boots, sniffles, rolling up the snowballs into snowmen, hot diesel stoves to warm the troop tents with dirty liners, some stoves always missing parts, less energetic soldiers stealing fuel and parts from others, generous soldiers sharing hot drinks and food with those that just came in from miles of frozen travel in open trucks or by foot. Is there a rule that Lieutenants can't read a map and won't listen to someone that knows a shortcut? What is really strange is that I am going down memory lane, and there are soldiers out there living in the cold, frozen and frosty - every day this Winter. Don't forget them during the holidays, we have their backs I hope.