A Rant Where I live winter is beginning to wane. The length of the days is longer, and temperatures are beginning to rise. The sap will soon be running in earnest. But let me emphasize, I actually enjoy winter. Recently I heard a radio announcer where snow is rare, describe experiencing what here we would call a dusting of snow. She ended the clip with how she could now empathize with everyone who lived where there is snow during the winter. She could understand how difficult it is to deal with the stuff. I felt annoyed. I am glad when it snows! But I hear this kind of statement often. It seems to me that there is an implicit understanding in our culture the it is preferable to live where there is never any snow, and temperatures never fall below freezing.
An Explanation I enjoy living where there are four distinct seasons. Below is a snapshot of sensations of the four seasons.
- Summer, sometimes hot but usually quite comfortable, tee shirts and shorts, lots of green and blue, some rainy days, some sunny days, lots of bird song, crickets, grasshoppers, bees buzzing, swim, hike bike, sail.
- Fall, cooler, crisper, and frosts and freezing become common, brilliant foliage, red, orange yellow, and then leaves fall, less birdsong, more silence, hiking, biking.
- Winter, snow, days below freezing and some nights below zero, more snow, and thaws, too, a white, blue, mauve landscape, silence, except for the wind through bare branches, skiing, snowshoeing, or sledding.
- Spring, sugaring season, with days above freezing, and nights below., snow gradually disappears, trees then leave out, another mini foliage season, greens of every hue, then spring blossoms, a riot of sound, colors scents, and warmth…
And on to summer. I hope that these descriptions give a sense of the ongoing variety in the seasons throughout the year. As an artist, I am inspired and stimulated by the variety of light and color that the four seasons provide. The landscapes displayed by each season are different and each of these challenges the artist in its own way. The light and therefore colors, call for different palettes in each season.
Further, it is important to note that the climate here supports particular local species of plants and animals that thrive in this temperate, four season-climate.
A Challenge Wherever you live, and I hope that you enjoy the climate where you are, whether it is tropical, semi-tropical, or arid, are you aware of it? Do you mindfully and sensually enjoy it? Are you aware of the ecosystems that flourish in your climate? Do not take any of this for granted.
All climates are under existential threat today. Where I live, I can see the changes that are happening although they are still subtle here. Winter, sadly, is shorter and milder, there is more rain, some days in the summer are hotter. New insects and animals have arrived.
What are you doing to steward the climate and ecosystems where you live? The challenge; become more aware, learn how to care for and support the ecosystems and climate where you are.