Sunday 19 December 2010

Let It Snow

We’ve been digging ourselves out all week from the biggest snowfall we have had so far this year. Last Wednesday marked the first time I have ever had to cancel classes due to the weather. One of the highways was completely closed making it nearly impossible, not to mention incredibly dangerous, for anyone to get to the school.

Winter is an awesome season. I know some don’t share my enthusiasm for the local climate this time of year but I find that the more time I spend outdoors experiencing the weather, the more I enjoy it. I can understand how the short days can become oppressive if you are augmenting them by shutting yourself indoors for five months so my advice is always to dress appropriately and spend some time outside.

If you started your day like I did yesterday you would understand exactly what I mean. There was fresh snow on the ground first thing in the morning and with the massive snowfall we had earlier in the week, everything was completely covered under a thick blanket of the white stuff. The silence that comes with all that snow was absolutely deafening. I stood perfectly still and just experienced the moment. That is definitely something that cannot be experienced any other time of year. Stay inside and you would never know what you had missed.

Winter solstice is in two days. This year will be the first time in over four hundred and fifty years that a lunar eclipse will coincide with the solstice. If the weather is clear, I am getting up at 3:17 am to experience the event. They say the phenomena should display the most fantastic coppery glow on the winter landscape. Regardless, the days start getting longer on Wednesday so enjoy what there is to experience before winter is gone.

“People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.” - Anton Chekov (1860 -1904)

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