A Bloy and his Blog

I’ve come to realize that being outside in nature is very important for me and my psyche. This fact really becomes apparent to me in the middle of winter (when I’m not outside as much as I am in warmer weather).

Thanks to a nice blanket of snow that fell over the past few days, I was able to strap on my snowshoes today and hike around the nature center and adjacent park near my house. I wasn’t the only one taking advantage of the winter conditions. There were people cross country skiing, sledding, snow boarding and tobogganing. You might wonder how a person can enjoy the beauty of nature around you with all those people around? That’s the great thing about having snowshoes.

read the rest of: A winter hike

I am definitely behind in my blogging. I blame it on the winter. It certainly isn’t MY fault. [grin]

Short days and long nights in bitter cold temperatures bring out the hibernator in me. I find I sleep more in the wintertime and I spend more time curled up on the couch with a good book (and maybe a blanket). Of course the lack of snow doesn’t help. Looking out the window and seeing a winter wonderland of brown can be a bit depressing.

I’m as dark as December.
I’m as cold as the man in the moon.
All I hear is that lonesome sound.
The hounds of winter, they follow me down.

- Sting, The Hounds Of Winter

So here I am living in Wisconsin in the middle of January and we’re having spring weather. Sure, it’s nice to have the sun shining and the warmer temperatures, but I want to see some snow! One of the things I like about living in the Upper Midwest is the change of seasons. I look forward to spring, summer, fall and yes even winter. So far this winter we’ve had about two inches of snow (annual snowfall where I live averages 50 inches). I want to get out there on my snowshoes and do some hiking. Right now the only way that’s going to happen is if I go to Canada — or maybe even the Arctic!

This situation makes me more convinced that our dependence on fossil fuels is indeed causing global warming. The warmer weather and lack of snow is also likely to cause the Upper Midwest to experience drought this summer. Water levels on the Great Lakes are already low.

Happy winter solstice! Well, at least for those of you living in the northern hemisphere. On this half of the planet, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky and we have the least amount of daylight for the year. Native peoples living in the North America believed it was a time for renewal, a time to celebrate. Once the longest night of the year has past, the Coldmaker relinquishes it’s influence on the sky, the sun begins to travel north again and we will have another warm summer to look forward to. So in the spirit of the solstice, may your darkness get a little lighter everyday and may you enjoy warm, brighter things in the coming year.