Winter Wearies

Winter Weary is another malady that afflicts a person during the chill winter months. It is more apt to appear near the end of the season. The first snowfall is often greeted with wide open arms and eyes. It’s a welcome sight, covering the bareness of the trees and fallen brown leaves with a bright white robe of eiderdown and lace. Slowly as the shoveling, the cold, the ice, and the repeated discoloration of the pristine white drifts occur; I’ve grown weary of the bleak gray days, and begin to long for the spring melt, the sunshine, and the warm breezes. I’ve grown weary of dragging my homemade wooden wheelbarrow out to the covered wood pile, lifting each piece to the one-wheeled conveyance, and pushing the heavy load to be stored in my basement. I’ve grown weary of getting up in the middle of the night to refill my wood burner with the split logs from the fire ring. I’ve grown weary of cleaning the ashes to carry outside, adding their dust to the discoloration of the snow. Punxsutawney Phil did little to lift my spirits out of these dreary days of doldrums, especially when he shares that there will be six more weeks of the winter wearies. SIGH.

I’ve grown weary of carefully waltzing my way across the icy surface of my driveway, being extremely cautious not to fall. My slip and fall in 2015 has made me more aware of just how dangerous ice can be. I don’t want another head injury. The two bleeds in my head at that time my injury occurred from the fall was more enough.

I can’t wait until the gentle prying fingers of the vernal equinox, the gentle zephyrs, and the warmth of sunshine chase the winter wearies away thus year. Now is the time for those dreary, tail end of winter days are replaced with the bright cheery, colorful days of spring. The calendar says spring has arrived.

Alas it is not to be so. Another wintery blast wearing a coat of white snow has arrived, burying my crocuses, daffodils, and forsythia blooms beneath its chilly burden. Spring arrived, then just as quickly it disappeared. Please come back. I want warm.