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10 things I like about winter
There's snow on the ground, and it was almost dark already at seven freakin' p.m. when I took the dogs for a walk. Not far off are the days of getting up in the dark, driving to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Which is why I need a list like this, to remind me not to pack up and leave.
10 Things I Like About Winter in Fairbanks
1. The beauty of it -- salmon-colored sunrises turning all the snow pink, ice crystals sparkling in the trees, fresh snow blanketing the world.
2. Long walks up frozen creeks, exploring places that are nearly inaccessible in the summer, or familiar places turned unfamiliar by a cover of snow.
3. Northern lights -- which I suppose could be considered a subset of #1, but are lovely and mysterious enough to warrant an entry of their own, especially since we have a nearly ideal location for watching them: wide-open sky with few trees blocking it, far enough from town that we don't get much light dimming them.
4. The freaky physical effects of 50 below zero: throwing pans of hot water in the air and watching them evaporate, our mysterious smoking gravel piles and the weird little creek that never freezes (still haven't really figured that one out), the way sounds carry crystal-clear for miles, car tires freezing flat and having to bump along on square tires until they warm up again.
5. Finding animal tracks in the snow and reading their "stories".
6. Making a hot cup of cocoa or tea, and putting on a warm fuzzy sweater, and looking out the window at the snow on a lazy Saturday morning.
7. Being able to spend hours and hours inside (at the computer, working on projects, watching TV) without feeling like I ought to get outside and do something. I love the contemplative nature of winter projects: baking; knitting; getting caught up on all the books I meant to read; throwing on a CD and organizing my bookshelves...
8. Christmas! But not really the day itself so much as the season -- planning, shopping, cooking, putting together boxes, hearing from people I don't normally hear from, etc.
9. Planning for all the summer projects that are much more fun to think about than actually to do.
10. New winter TV seasons. (Yes, I am a shallow, shallow fangirl.)
10 Things I Like About Winter in Fairbanks
1. The beauty of it -- salmon-colored sunrises turning all the snow pink, ice crystals sparkling in the trees, fresh snow blanketing the world.
2. Long walks up frozen creeks, exploring places that are nearly inaccessible in the summer, or familiar places turned unfamiliar by a cover of snow.
3. Northern lights -- which I suppose could be considered a subset of #1, but are lovely and mysterious enough to warrant an entry of their own, especially since we have a nearly ideal location for watching them: wide-open sky with few trees blocking it, far enough from town that we don't get much light dimming them.
4. The freaky physical effects of 50 below zero: throwing pans of hot water in the air and watching them evaporate, our mysterious smoking gravel piles and the weird little creek that never freezes (still haven't really figured that one out), the way sounds carry crystal-clear for miles, car tires freezing flat and having to bump along on square tires until they warm up again.
5. Finding animal tracks in the snow and reading their "stories".
6. Making a hot cup of cocoa or tea, and putting on a warm fuzzy sweater, and looking out the window at the snow on a lazy Saturday morning.
7. Being able to spend hours and hours inside (at the computer, working on projects, watching TV) without feeling like I ought to get outside and do something. I love the contemplative nature of winter projects: baking; knitting; getting caught up on all the books I meant to read; throwing on a CD and organizing my bookshelves...
8. Christmas! But not really the day itself so much as the season -- planning, shopping, cooking, putting together boxes, hearing from people I don't normally hear from, etc.
9. Planning for all the summer projects that are much more fun to think about than actually to do.
10. New winter TV seasons. (Yes, I am a shallow, shallow fangirl.)
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#1 I especially like the "beam of light" effect at dusk and dawn (snow/ice at altitude?) ice crystal halos and the whole "Winter Wonderland" effect on days when the trees are coated white.
#2 Interesting how the winter makes it easier to get around.
#3 Yeah. I still just look and go "Oooo".
#4 I remember the first time I got out of my car, dead certain I had a flat, maybe two...then got out again a block later to make sure.
*thump*THUMP*thump*thu-thump*
#5 Finding moose nuggets in the backyard.
#6 Ditto. Except I need coffee.
#7 Ditto. Uh, except for the knitting...and the baking.
#8 You always know you're going to have a white Christmas.
#9 Planning for all the summer trips I hope we get to make.
#10 Not strictly seasonal, but the local TV ads and news provide a uniquely provincial (and unintentionally humorous) counterpoint to those most loved shows.
One more thing. I cannot imagine a better setting for "The Simpsons Movie" than the BlueLoon with an audience of Fairbanksans chuckling into their Duff's at truth's unknown to outsiders.