When The Wind Changes

I love when we get a really deep snowfall (well, I love it after we’ve dug out), and then a Chinook wind blows in and the snow begins to melt. The snow settles at it gets heavier and wetter, and melts into puddles that require boots and frequent laundering of pants, especially if you venture into the slush-pit of downtown. Snow against dark edges, like sidewalks and fences and trees, melts back a little, exposing a little more dark to warm in the sun. The depth of snow eases, most visible where it hasn’t been shoveled into mounds, but started smooth, and is now crisscrossed by animal tracks.

In our inner-city garden retreat, it sounds busy, too – with the wind blowing, birds chirping, squirrels deepening their tracks through the snow, and water dripping dripping dripping.

I love it when the wind changes.

Maureen

A Bad Case of January

Lois Peterson wrote about writer’s block on her blog,  http://loispeterson.blog.com/2013/01/13/writers-block-dont-wont-cant/, and HR replied on Lois’s Facebook link: “You’re suffering from January.”

I think a lot of us are – from flu and colds and depression from a lack of light, from cold weather and endless shoveling, or endless rain. Facebook friends talk of travel to sunny (and warm) climates, vitamin D, light therapy.

I’ve had a couple of colds, and writing has been flat. Finally, I feel little bubbles of energy, ideas surfacing that I want to play with. I want to sit at my laptop and type away, happy to feel that surge of energy and joy that comes as the ideas bubble. I hate to compare myself to beer, but I’ve been like flat beer, and now I’m carbonated. Ahh!

So what helps, besides sunlight and hand washing and vitamin D and really bright lights? Candles at dinner, whenever it’s dark when we eat. Lights in the garden –soon I’ll unplug the coloured Christmas lights, but I’ll leave the sparkly white lights up. Sitting by the fire – any fire. I discovered a coffee shop nearby has a fire, and I might go there to write, if I can get a fireside seat to curl up in. We could light our own fire more often, even though it overheats the house.

Winter athletes seem happier – anyone with the guts to run or snowshoe or ski, to rejoice in the cold, and in fresh snow. I’m more inclined to pour over garden catalogues, to fill my mind with images of plants growing.

Humour always helps – the Calgary Zoo takes their Emperor penguins for walks, and my younger daughter and I are going to join them. Because what could be  better in January than a walk with penguins?

Maureen

The View From My Office Window

It’s snowing, again.

After Christmas, we stuffed the Christmas tree in a snowbank in the front yard. Now it looks like we live in a forest.

Maureen