winter

Today is the first day of December. Winter is upon us and I, for one, am glad. Say what you will about the shorter days, the grayer skies and the cooler temperatures -- I welcome them and everything else the season brings each year.

There is something about the quiet crispness and still beauty of cold weather. A landscape buried in snow is a peaceful sight. The crushing white is almost inviting; all sound is muffled and the tranquility lends to the sense that nature is at rest. The outdoors seem calmer, as if everyone (and everything) has either left or holed up to wait it out.

I love the feeling of being bundled in warm layers, protected against the harsh and bitter but somehow comforting elements. That’s why I dig snowboarding so much.

The act of riding a board down a snowy slope is certainly part of the appeal. Being outside though, and enjoying what nature provides, is what I treasure most.

Some dudes listen to music through headphones while riding. I prefer the sound of the snow. The shush shush of the compliant snow being carved by my board. The dull clatter of chunky clumps falling back to earth after being sprayed into the air. The whump of my board’s flat base landing on a downy pillow of snow. Even the silence of fine powder, disturbed from its serene state and billowing around me before settling again, is music to my ears.

Unforgiving weather in general also makes me appreciate the indoors and the homey lifestyle that suits me. Sitting fireside with a drink while a storm rages outside; getting cozy with the lady as the mercury drops; stirring a pot of stew while Jack Frost ravages the remnants of my garden. These simple pleasures satisfy my soul.

Winter is also the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times to gather, give thanks and celebrate with the ones you hold dear. Pardon the Hallmark cheese, but no amount of material gifts can give me more joy than getting the gang together for food, drink and merriment.

While I can find more pros than cons for all four seasons, I still find winter to be especially charming. Whether it’s a day of play in the snow, a night of gaiety with the family or the prospects of a new year, count on me to relish it all.