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Health & Fitness

La Canicule de l'Hiver (The Dog Days of Winter)

Thoughts on mid winter

 

Just as summer drags on, winter sometimes seems to never end and has its 'dog days' period.  The 'dog days' are usually from after Superbowl Sunday through Saint Patrick's Day.  

Despite winter beginning just before Christmas, it mentally doesn't seem to start until after the glow of the holiday season fades.  January seems the start of winter coupled with the football playoffs, but winter mentally and in our bones seems to take hold after the Superbowl.  February is deep winter; the shortest month seems to be the longest, despite small incremental increases in sunlight each day.  The utility bills spike; it is difficult to find compounds to melt ice on your driveway.  By the time Saint Patrick Day rolls around, the spring clothes and garden artifacts are out, despite the formal end of winter a few days after Saint Patrick's Day.  (Of course, Easter trinkets are in stores as of December 26th.)

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Before I retired last year, I viewed the 'dog days' of winter as a pain: scrapping car windows, watching out for fools speeding in their SUVs on black ice, worrying if the snow blower won't conk out, and the lines to buy milk, bread, beer, diapers (if needed and in my long ago past, cigs) if a storm will occur.  Maybe it was because I was inside from going to work to coming home.

I now view these days as a natural start with changes to come.  The days get longer with more light.  The rapid changes in lighting are interesting as neighboring houses seem to change color as the sun moves and the shadows of snow covered trees.

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There are also milestones in these 'dog days':

  • President's Day
  • Sports Illustrated bathing suit edition
  • Daytona 500
  • Mardi Gras (always falls sometime in this period)
  • Driving to/from work without needing headlights
  • Spring Training
  • Start of Daylight Savings Time

 

And, despite it sometimes seems like it will never end, that first crocus will break through.

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