September 10, 2023

Our Indian Summer was abruptly interrupted today by a cool drizzle and temperatures hovering around the sixties. I found myself in stretch pants with a long sleeve t-shirt all topped off with my giant, incredibly warm but dowdy cashmere cardigan. I could hear Ned Stark as I looked at the thermometer and foggy prairie this morning: “Winter is coming.” As it always does and with it existential dread I will suffer and make everyone else suffer with me my old frjend SAD. The trees haven’t started to turn and I’m already fretting over January. So I decided to make a list of things I like I about winter on the prairie. Here’s the first 25 I’ve come up with.

the quiet after a snow storm.
the smell of snow just before it starts
the satisfying crunchy noise of snow under my boots.
The bare branches covered in frost or snow glitter in the early morning sun
Ground fog on sunny mornings makes the world shimmer
The blue hour before dawn
The blue hour at dusk
A 7pm bedtime without an excuse other than “it’s been dark for hours”
using weekend snow days as an excuse to wear pajamas and watch television all day
the vast white expanse of the prairie
The sun shines most days
Juliet the cat doesn’t look so skinny and wane with her winter coat
Cashmere sweaters
velvet
wool tights
sweater dresses with boots
An excuse to buy another cashmere sweater
An excuse to eat heavy foods
the satisfaction of chopping through the ice on the water tanks. But only if the sun is out and the wind is blowing. Otherwise it’s the 7th circle of Hell
A fire in our bedroom fireplace gives me an excuse to read until lunch on cold Saturdays and Sundays
Christmas cookies
Mexican hot chocolate
a cup of hot tea mid afternoon
the coyotes stand out against the snow and their coats are lush, thick, and beautiful.
Frost pictures on the windows when the snow blows