Tuesday, October 6, 2009

October in Colorado


No more pretending, winter is upon us here on our mountain. The leaves are long gone except for the pale brown, somehow skeletal remains that insist on clinging to the aspens this year. Sunny one day, snowing the next, frost, rain, snow/sun simultaneously, wind, balmy reprieves. The weather can't seem to make up it's mind and neither can I. Do I welcome it or dread it? Let's see if I can figure this out.


Things I like about winter:

The beauty of falling snow

The new angle of sunlight on trees and through windows

Feeding the beautiful birds that flock back to the yard

A warm fire burning merrily in the wood stove

The satisfying piles of firewood stacked in the yard

Hot cereal and baked oatmeal

Popcorn and old movies

Baking bread takes on a new level of delight

A sense of peace over spending time indoors doing things I enjoy

Knitting warm hats and scarves

Drinking hot tea

Wearing sweaters that had been banished for the summer

Playing in the snow with my dogs

The coziness of the rabbit barn under a blanket of snow

Driving on snow in the moonlight with no headlights on

Slow cooked stews and soups scenting the whole house

Baking cookies and yummy smelling treats

Listening to Christmas music (I start early and go late)

Lots of soft mood lighting and a good book in the evening

Being reminded of many happy, wintry days as a child

Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the traditions

Things about Winter I could do without:

The wind that blows fiercely and endlessly through the mountain pass

Bundling up 'til I feel like the Sta-Puff marshmallow man

Shoveling

Carrying wood from the pile into the house

The mess the wood makes on the living room floor

Icy roads

Cold hands

People stop coming to our house because of the weather and the roads

The much shorter daylight hours

Carrying water to the rabbit barn because the hose is shut off due to freezing

Days when I can't seem to get the wood stove going well


I may add to these lists later but on "paper" it looks like winter is still the winner even with my misgivings.
I'll keep that in mind.

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