Monday, December 30, 2024

My mother would have said, “What a dreary day.” Solid gray above, fog among the trees, bare limbs and snowless ground, steady rain, damp but warm for December. In her later years, she saw more dreary days, in part because of her macular degeneration. For someone who loved to read, it was hard for her to see only individual words and not the full meaning of sentences. When she looked outward, she saw images that weren’t there.

My eyesight is still intact, but I would agree, Mom, today is indeed dreary. The weather forecast says it will reach 56F today. The rain will end by noon. People will be out running and cycling in shorts this afternoon. We might even go for a spin on our gravel bike. The day will be less dreary.

Still, it feels more like March than the onset of winter. Where is the snow to protect the roots of plants and provide cover to subnivean animals? The cold air that reddens my cheeks and quickens my step to stay warm? Where is the ice-cover on ponds? Where is the frozen ground that allows for winter logging and outdoor recreation? Where is the cold that keeps bears in their dens and salamanders deep in their underground burrows?

My goal for 2025 is to enjoy the beauty of nature, to appreciate each day — even the dreary ones, to be thankful for good health, to strive to understand those I do not understand.