Winter Sweetness (Source: Geo Davis)
It’s late January, and winter’s been with us for long enough that, from time-to-time, my mind meanders May-ward. Or even toward June and July and August. Warmer months. Carefree months for sailing and gardening and cycling canopied country roads…
Don’t misunderstand. I’m no winter hater. On the contrary. I actually love the chill and the snow. The skiing. But there’s something about the point-counterpoint marriage of winter and summer that inevitably conjures balmier daydreams this time of year.
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
— John Steinbeck
Well put. A bit like spring sugaring. It takes the combination of warm days and cold nights to bring out maple syrup’s magical nectar.
But this winter has been virtually snowless and unseasonably warm. La Niña. Climate change. Wacky weather. Choose your best guess why Santa Fe has been exempt from the frigid, blizzard thrashings of other parts of the country. Not sure if this unwintery weather bodes ill for summer. Will s’mores season be chilly? Rainy? Less sweet than usual?
But I’ve another little woe besides projecting less-than-perfect summer sentiments into the ether. Skiing has been slim. As of now I’ve skied five times. I’m participating in a telemark clinic this weekend, and I’m still working out the kinks for the season. I’d anticipated a couple months of telemark skiing by now. Nope. Not this winter. Fortunately we’ve just received half a foot of fresh snow, pushing back rumors that our local ski basin would close early due to lack of snow. At least it’ll remain open through the telemark clinic. I hope. Now, if I can just get up there for a couple of laps before then.