Now then, yes I have spent my time in the Mudville 9 doin' my share of complainin' about the weather in Minnesota - with a special more hostile diatribe reserved for the winter months -- that's typically approx Oct-May if you're scoring at home gang. One time back in '84 (knock it off, that's 1984, not 1884, I'm not THAT old, geez...) I came out to lots of snow on April 30th. I calmly said to myself as I brushed the large amount of very wet snow off my car, "that's it, I'm outta here". It took me a few months, but in late Nov/early Dec I packed up everything I owned (think: casette tapes, records, stereo, 2 pairs of jeans, 5 t shirts, most of them baseball related and a couple of really bad polyester suits) in my '82 Honda Accord and headed west (young man) by way of Iowa and Nebraska and touched down in my new home in Denver, Colorado. Many of you out there (who are still keeping score at home) are going "huh?", "wha? the Hel$??" I thought he said he did not like winter all that much, why didn't he veer south to Arizona or somethin', he stopped in snowy Colorado? What an idot, obviously geographically challenged.
Not exactly, I did not say I hated winter, I said I've spent my time complaining about portions of it. This morning here in the 651 we woke up to that beautiful, pure, stunning blanket of white snow to welcome in Christmas Eve. Just enough moisture in it (the Strib used the phrase "jacked up on Gulf of Mexico moisture" - god that's like beat poetry, what a line) so that it is hanging in the trees - I love it when that happens. I bought a pair of snow shoes a number of years ago exactly for these kinds of occasions. Tromp around in the woods with them once in a while, get off the beaten path - of both life and the path in the woods. Good for the soul. You ever notice how nice the snow looks when you do not have to drive in it? Don't have to get up early and go to work and fight it? Just sit back and relax and enjoy it? Peaceful, serene, Dickensian, stoned immaculate.
Gotta go shovel, get some bird seed out for the various critters in the backyard, thank goodness we have firewood, blueberry pancakes, coffee, red wine and chicken noodle soup on hand. We are well stocked, we are north country folks, winter is not a choice up here, you cannot opt out or test out. Nosirree bob. One must put the shoulder down and lean into winter, embrace winter -- it's easier if you have lots of red and black flannel clothes and hats with ear flaps and mucluck's and such. Listen to Dylan's Girl from the North Country on Nashville Skyline, listen to Winterlude on New Morning, liste to Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You - and think of winter in Woodstock in upstate New York circa '65, '66, '67 -- that will see you through.
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