In the north of the northern hemisphere,
pre-winter has displayed her snowy coat.
We’ve oohed and aahed, moaned, and groaned,
and some have silently (or not) rejoiced.
The closer you are to the equator,
The less opportunity you have
To enjoy a white fluffy fall of frozen moisture,
Icy streets, frozen water dishes, or really short days.
Every morning I check the weather.
Will Snow surprise us in the forecast
Or do we only have clouds and rain
As Winter Weather awaits the date.
It’s just seven little days,
Hey, that’s a week!
Winter shows up on our doorsteps.
And we spend three months enjoying her name.
Some enjoy the hot summer sun.
With lotion to block the damage potential
Others want the Spring and Fall
They love the idea of being between.
But I love Winter
Snow hides the ugliness of unkempt yards
Rolling hills of white blankets stretch
Endlessly, quietly showing a uniqueness.
Come on! Grand dame of the seasons.
We await your grand entrance.
After all, a White Christmas is what we sing for.
Let’s let Winter show us her best.
Sometimes we have the thought of Winter all wrong. Winter wheat needs the cold and snow to protect tender shoots as they prepare to surprise us in the Spring. Snowfall, especially in the mountains, is the stored water needed through hot and dry summers. Through these colder months, even trees need to rest their visible side as their roots burrow deeper and farther.
Yes. I’ve had accidents in the winter when we slip and slide on the roadways. It’s true. More will suffer health ailments while shoveling white gold (snow) because this is the season when you work harder to keep the drive cleared. But this is also the season of learning to hunker down and prepare for days of no power, snow closures, and no school!
One snowfall in Anchorage, the largest single event we had experienced, was 38 inches of snow in a 24-hour time period. It started just after midnight one Sunday morning, and our neighborhood was not cleared for four days of stay-at-home bliss. Fortunately, there was fuel for the walk-behind snow blower, and I used it every 3-4 hours. Our Cocker Spaniel enjoyed running under the top layer of snow and would come in the doggy door as a huge snowball himself.
What do you do in winter? How do you spend your time? It really depends on you and what your particular goal in life might be.
“In seed time learn,
in harvest teach,
in winter enjoy.”
~William Blake
Robert Frost, and many other poets, write about the stillness of a dark winter’s night. As kids, we learned to sing songs at Christmas about riding a horse-drawn sleigh through the woods and over the hills as we headed to grandma’s house. Only a few times in those early years of life did we experience snow. Did you know? Snow is cold! We were not prepared! No hoods, thick jackets, bibs, or even gloves. I remember dad raking the snow into a pile and we called Mr Snowman done!
In 1994, we celebrated a company Christmas party out of Palmer, Alaska, at a sturdy barn with lit winter heaters aglow. Hay bales were our resting places, tables of food and hot drinks, and a truly horse-drawn sleigh ride through the woods and the hills. All the while, fresh snow was falling.
There’s a fine line of conditions where moisture falling is either rain or snow.
The speed of wind is acceptable unless the temperature drops closer to freezing.
Clouds are white and fluffy all the time, but when laden with moisture, they become dark and gloomy.
If you want winter, you may have to go to where she shows her grandeur.
I don’t have to go far at all. Winter has been here for weeks and has months to keep surprising us!