Lamenting the End of Winter

Here I am in the middle of March, seeing green stems of Crocuses and Daffodils breaking through the earth, feeling the temperature rise, smelling the air, taking in that mysterious, unknown scent of warmer things to come, yet not wanting to let go of frigid days and slanted sunlight as it brightens the west horizon at 4:30 pm. Practically everyone I talk to says they're sick of Winter, and wish for longer, warmer days to come, but I'm not ready to let go.

I moved to Connecticut from Seattle nearly two months ago, and it has been a blessing. Firstly, I didn't like Seattle, but I'm not going to go into details at the moment. Let's just say, I'm an East Coast guy, and the culture of Seattle is the antithesis of who I am. I also do not like the Seattle Falls and Winters, which are not always rainy, so much as they are constantly cloudy. Image no sun for two straight months, and you'll understand what makes the natives so odd and aloof.

Aside from the tepid culture of Seattle, I like snow. I like to see it on the ground for a few days, but in Seattle when it snows, which is usually two or three times a season, it melts within a day or two. So when the big snow hit here last month, I was ecstatic. I love the way it blankets the ground, and transforms the landscape into an alien world right under your nose. To me, it's Nirvana and Heaven rolled into one.

My second reason for not wanting to say good-bye to winter is that I like to walk my dog, Pepito, on the beach. Sadly, on today's walk, I noticed a sign saying that dogs are only allowed on the beach from October 1st until March 31st, which means that we have only two more weeks left. Though I do love the beach, I'm not a fan of sun bathing and the crowds that gather during Summer. I find it claustrophobic, and usually relegate my beach hours to late afternoons and evenings, or, perhaps, an odd week day here or there.

Winter at the beach is a world unto its own. Pepito loves to run on it, especially when the wind is blowing. He's a ten pound Chihuahua but he's very hearty, and can run fast for a small dog. Since he doesn't have much belly-fur, I dress him in a wool sweater. It gets very cold, but it's so refreshing. It lifts me up and I sense another consciousness. Sometimes, staring across the freezing waters, up into the ice blue sky, where clouds rise like cotton mountains, I feel I can step into another world and almost know the meaning of  life's mysteries. Pepito must feel that, too, as he zips around in quick bursts and speedy loops, kicking up sand. Maybe he's just plain happy.  I'm not sure, but seeing him happy makes me happy.

I didn't start out writing this post with three reasons why I regret the end of winter, but now I know my third - I've been happy. When I left Seattle, I was at a low point - rejected, dejected, down, and in need of a change. While in Connecticut, I've been able to re-charge my batteries and gain back a sense of hope, all this in the Winter. Winter's been a happy season for me, but as it's said, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." I wonder what Spring will bring...