A WINTER’S TALE

As I near the end of my 2^nd full Winter as a country squire, there’s been quite a bit of interesting and formidable experiences and adventures over the past few months. A bit of a mixed-bag of sorts, but certainly an opportunity to learn more about cold country living as well as myself.

As most of you know, I prefer to spend as many of my waking hours outside as possible and, though not entirely prohibitive, Winter’s sub-freezing temperatures and attendant snow and ice, certainly make things a bit more complicated. In any event, the season forces me to stay indoors far more than I’d like and that can sometimes feel a bit suffocating.

Fortunately, I have a number of indoor pursuits like reading, board gaming, writing & playing music, so there does exist a bit of reprieve in that respect. Nonetheless, I’ve discovered this year that there were some other unexpected results.

I still continued to get out of the house a few times each week to socialize and spend time with friends. However, in absence of being able to stay outside, there were times it felt a little “cabin fevery.” Turns out that this is quite normal in speaking with others, but damn, it was a bit tough.

On the positive side, my reading increased to about 20 books per month and I’ve been writing some new songs as well as focused on the impending reunion with my old punk band. I’ve also allowed myself to enjoy a bit more TV/Streaming to the tune of about 5 hours per month. On the less positive side, I ran head-on into something I was not at all expecting.

A CRAZY SHADE OF WINTER

Prior to relocating to the glorious Washington countryside, I was keenly aware of the relatively stark contrasts in the duration of daylight throughout the year between So. Cal. and my current Northern latitude. Particularly the exceedingly long days consisting of 16 hours of sunlight in Summer and the far more truncated version of 8 hours of sun during Winter. That’s a massive swing and, in the absence of 2020’s personal life distractions, I really felt it this Winter.

What became quite the challenge was contending with night falling at 4PM. That was a colossal struggle as I always have been one of those persons whose circadian rhythms align with the sun rising and setting. So, when it was 5PM, I was consistently tired and ready for bed. This issue was exacerbated by the fact that at 2PM it started to become dusk-like and felt like the day was winding down in the early afternoon.

It likely didn’t help that I had basically been on the road and traveling and moving at a zillion miles per hour for the better part of 8 months and then just abruptly stopped in mid-November. I felt a tremendous loss of momentum and excitement as the air rapidly cooled and the first signs of snow began to reveal themselves.

By December, I was beginning to experience some strain of existential malaise and was sleeping way more than my usual 8-9 hours. Friends introduced me to the joy of Vitamin D, which I began taking and it provided a modicum of relief.

I did research on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood disorder wherein folks with normal mental health experience depressive symptoms during Winter, but I wasn’t exhibiting any legitimate symptoms of clinical depression. However, I did discover my protracted sleep patterns were a form of hypersomnia.

A number of my friends swore to the efficacy of light therapy and espoused how their “happy lamps” really did work. I read a few clinical studies which corroborated their assessment, but I didn’t bother. In the end, I just decided to follow the lead of my body. If that meant I sometimes was asleep at 7P or slept 12 hours or was awake for a couple hours in the middle of the night before falling back to sleep, so be it. It was certainly a challenge, but overall I did adjust, albeit slightly, and, if nothing else, was well slept.

BLACK ICE

Another aspect of Winter that I found to be an adjustment, or perhaps inconvenience, was driving in snow and ice. Upon moving, I was wise enough to realize I needed an AWD vehicle with snow tires and bought a 27-year old Ford Explorer to experience my first Winter and better understand the realities of the actual conditions before committing to buy a new vehicle.

While the Explorer served me well (and still does), I wasn’t confident in its reliability, so I bought a brand new AWD cross-over SUV and put the same kick-ass Bridgestone Blizzak wheels on them. The process of obtaining the car is a post unto itself, but I’m stoked I pulled the trigger. It’s loaded with killer tech and makes negotiating everything from highways to ice-covered back-country roads infinitely easier and safer.

That said, learning to drive on the snow and ice has certainly been a learning experience, particularly when you have the added hazard of covert, suicidal deer ready to pounce in front of you at any moment. Nevertheless, my chops continue to get better each sojourn up and down my mountain.

That said, my favorite foible this Winter was getting the Explorer stuck in a snow drift at the top of my driveway. That had me a little puckered to say the least, particularly as it occurred at the edge of a steep incline where it could potentially have rolled during the extraction process. Fortunately, a neighbor I had not met stopped and helped me to right the ship, so to speak. Once back on terra firma, he asked me if this was the 1^st time this had happened to me. I replied by saying, “Yes, but it’s not going to be my last is it?” His response, “Not by a long shot.” You’ve got to love country living!

SNOWBIRDIN’

By the time the fireworks were launching and the champagne was being poured on New Year’s Eve, I was pretty much over Winter and needed a break. I decided to trade the slush and snow for the sun and surf and booked passage to So. Cal. for a couple of weeks. It was a much needed respite and was nice to catch up with friends and walk the beaches.

It was during this journey that I realized I was effectively doing some “snowbirdin’.” Living most of my adult life in So. Cal., I’d heard of snow birds before, but didn’t really get it since it was always relatively warm and sunny during Winter. Now, I totally understand why many of my neighbors, friends and acquaintances here bug out around the holidays for warmer climes. It makes perfect sense now.

It got me thinking about the notion and I’m reasonably certain that next Winter, I’ll do a long-term rental on the beach in CA for a couple of months and just bypass much of the aforementioned inconvenience Winter brings with it.

DIAMONDS IN THE AIR

To be fair, while I’ve carped incessantly about the challenges of Winter, there are many, many things I truly appreciate and enjoy. Aesthetically, the snow-laden mountains and country landscape in general are positively spellbinding. It’s a form of beauty that truly transcends words. It is an extremely compelling, potent form of magic. In this regard, it even rivals Spring (my favorite season) in its opulent majesty.

It sounds cliché, but there really is something special about the proverbial “white Christmas.” The cold and the snow make the season and holidays truly come alive. While I may be ready to head to the beach by Boxing Day, I’m grateful to celebrate the holidays in a way that, until relocating, was a totally foreign experience to me. Also, I’m not going to lie – making snowballs, snowmen and snow angels is always a great time, irrespective of one’s age.

My absolute favorite is when the consistency of the snow becomes such that it’s somewhat dry and, when reflected by a bright sun, makes it appear as if the ground is laced with small diamonds. I find this to be magnificent and sublime. It seems to be a somewhat rare (or at least not everyday) phenomenon, but when it does, I relish every second. Even better? When the wind is up and making these “diamonds” take flight as the air sparkles and twinkles.

As I write this, the temperatures have risen well above freezing and look to stay that way. The snow is melting rapidly as Spring slowly begins to stir. The days are getting longer and daylight savings is less than 2 weeks away. I’ve made it through another Winter and in some ways, my first one in my new chapter of life. I’m looking forward to what comes next.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

What are your thoughts on Winter? What do you enjoy most? Least? As always, I’d love to hear from you.