In the winter
25/01/16 03:45
I’m not sure when they started naming winter storms. I was first aware of it when we experienced in blizzard in October of 2013 that brought about 30” of snow with high winds to our area. We lost a couple of trees from our backyard in the blizzard and it took us quite a while to get dug out. At the height of the blizzard we were without electricity for a couple of days, and pretty much snowed in. There was plenty to do during and after the storm and as soon as the winds abated some and the snowfall stopped, I was outside, blowing and shoveling snow and cleaning up the fallen trees with the chainsaw. We live in a protected part of the hills and didn’t have it bad. There were a lot of cattle losses on ranches in the area and people who were without electricity for much longer periods than we experienced.
Not every storm is large enough to get its own name. I don’t know how they decide which storms to name, but I think it has something to do with size.
The news back east, of course, is of winter storm Jonas. There have been several locations that received record snowfall. At least 27 people have died as a result of the storm. There are places where it is still going to take several days to get things dug out and back to business.
Meanwhile, we’ve had a few days of mild weather. Saturday was a good day for getting outdoors and enjoying it. We even cooked our evening meal on the barbecue. This morning we’ve got a dusting of new snow, less than a half inch, but it makes things look white and pretty once again.
I know that there are people who suffer from the winter weather. The shortened days and storms can have a psychological effect. Seasonal Affective Disorder is much better understood than was the case years ago and there are some treatments that can ease the effects of the condition.
We used to speak of cabin fever. I grew up with the understanding that it wasn’t good for a person to stay indoors all of the time. At our home the cure for cabin fever was to go outside to play. And we learned to bundle up so that we could go outside when the weather was cold. As soon as I was old enough I began to deliver newspapers, which gave me a reason to go outside every day. Even if school was cancelled, I had a task that took me outside. When the weather was severe, we occasionally got help from a parent, but we were expected to know how to dress appropriately for cold weather. We had snow pants and good mittens with woolen liners and leather outsides. There were plenty of snow masks and scarves to keep us warm.
I don’t know how it is for other people, but I find that I need to get out into winter in order to keep it from getting me down. My life is busy and there is a reason to go outside nearly every day. I am grateful for that busyness. I don’t know if it would be called cabin fever or seasonal affective disorder or some other condition. I just know that the way to deal with winter is to get bundled up and go outside. Deep snow can make hiking difficult, but here in the hills we get enough warm days between storms to make walking around the hills fairly easy most of the time. There are a few sheltered areas where the snow gets deep, but there are plenty of open places for a walk in the woods.
I do, however, do my rowing indoors these days. The lake is frozen. The boats are in storage. My Seattle Wooden Rower sits in my library and I try to get in a half hour or so most days. Like walking, rowing is a gentle exercise. I can go as fast or as slowly as I like. If I get tired, I can slow down. If I am feeling lethargic, I can pour on the coals and row strenuously for a while.
My body continues to teach me about my faith. Getting exercise affects my sense of the world. It has an impact on my emotions and my relationship with others. It is necessary for me to find some physical activity to deal with the realities of life. In theological terms we call this incarnation. Spirit taking on physical form. One of the core concepts of Christianity is that God, the creator of all that is, the One who is beyond all time and space, takes on human form. The infinite and the personal meet. Instead of seeing the world as a duality of “us” and “them” or of “body” and “spirit,” we understand that there is an intersection that yields a “both/and” instead of an “either/or.” The raw physicality of human existence - aching muscles and all - is the dwelling place of the spirit.
Yesterday we paused outdoors in a very beautiful part of the hills for the committal of a man who had died earlier in the week. After a brief ceremony and after military honors were rendered with care and precision, the family got into their cars and headed back to town. The honor guard packed up their flags and guns and drove off. Just the funeral director, the man from the vault company and I remained as the casket and vault were lowered into the grave. Our actions didn’t require words, so we worked quietly. Then there were a few minutes to wait for the tractor to be moved into place to fill the grave. I had been outside for maybe a half hour or so and it wasn’t very cold, but I began to feel the chill creeping in as I stood still on the hillside waiting. I could have sat in a warm car, but it was good to feel the chill as I remembered the unique man whose funeral we had just observed.
We’ve still got plenty of winter left around here. I’ll be fine as long as I make a way to go outside every day.
Not every storm is large enough to get its own name. I don’t know how they decide which storms to name, but I think it has something to do with size.
The news back east, of course, is of winter storm Jonas. There have been several locations that received record snowfall. At least 27 people have died as a result of the storm. There are places where it is still going to take several days to get things dug out and back to business.
Meanwhile, we’ve had a few days of mild weather. Saturday was a good day for getting outdoors and enjoying it. We even cooked our evening meal on the barbecue. This morning we’ve got a dusting of new snow, less than a half inch, but it makes things look white and pretty once again.
I know that there are people who suffer from the winter weather. The shortened days and storms can have a psychological effect. Seasonal Affective Disorder is much better understood than was the case years ago and there are some treatments that can ease the effects of the condition.
We used to speak of cabin fever. I grew up with the understanding that it wasn’t good for a person to stay indoors all of the time. At our home the cure for cabin fever was to go outside to play. And we learned to bundle up so that we could go outside when the weather was cold. As soon as I was old enough I began to deliver newspapers, which gave me a reason to go outside every day. Even if school was cancelled, I had a task that took me outside. When the weather was severe, we occasionally got help from a parent, but we were expected to know how to dress appropriately for cold weather. We had snow pants and good mittens with woolen liners and leather outsides. There were plenty of snow masks and scarves to keep us warm.
I don’t know how it is for other people, but I find that I need to get out into winter in order to keep it from getting me down. My life is busy and there is a reason to go outside nearly every day. I am grateful for that busyness. I don’t know if it would be called cabin fever or seasonal affective disorder or some other condition. I just know that the way to deal with winter is to get bundled up and go outside. Deep snow can make hiking difficult, but here in the hills we get enough warm days between storms to make walking around the hills fairly easy most of the time. There are a few sheltered areas where the snow gets deep, but there are plenty of open places for a walk in the woods.
I do, however, do my rowing indoors these days. The lake is frozen. The boats are in storage. My Seattle Wooden Rower sits in my library and I try to get in a half hour or so most days. Like walking, rowing is a gentle exercise. I can go as fast or as slowly as I like. If I get tired, I can slow down. If I am feeling lethargic, I can pour on the coals and row strenuously for a while.
My body continues to teach me about my faith. Getting exercise affects my sense of the world. It has an impact on my emotions and my relationship with others. It is necessary for me to find some physical activity to deal with the realities of life. In theological terms we call this incarnation. Spirit taking on physical form. One of the core concepts of Christianity is that God, the creator of all that is, the One who is beyond all time and space, takes on human form. The infinite and the personal meet. Instead of seeing the world as a duality of “us” and “them” or of “body” and “spirit,” we understand that there is an intersection that yields a “both/and” instead of an “either/or.” The raw physicality of human existence - aching muscles and all - is the dwelling place of the spirit.
Yesterday we paused outdoors in a very beautiful part of the hills for the committal of a man who had died earlier in the week. After a brief ceremony and after military honors were rendered with care and precision, the family got into their cars and headed back to town. The honor guard packed up their flags and guns and drove off. Just the funeral director, the man from the vault company and I remained as the casket and vault were lowered into the grave. Our actions didn’t require words, so we worked quietly. Then there were a few minutes to wait for the tractor to be moved into place to fill the grave. I had been outside for maybe a half hour or so and it wasn’t very cold, but I began to feel the chill creeping in as I stood still on the hillside waiting. I could have sat in a warm car, but it was good to feel the chill as I remembered the unique man whose funeral we had just observed.
We’ve still got plenty of winter left around here. I’ll be fine as long as I make a way to go outside every day.