As we prepare to head out tomorrow, for a 5-week trip to warmer weather, I am writing from our sunroom, looking out at the melting snow in the yard, left from the last winter wallop we received as the recent polar vortex storms ravaged the country.
We are between trips, having gotten back from our first winter trip in early February — I have written about that trip being affected to some degree by unexpected ice and snow storms, yet we celebrated my birthday on Jekyll Island with dear friends, appreciated the many wonderful birds we saw there, all in slightly warmer temps on the island than those we left at home.
The Winter Wows these past weeks have been the surprise of two days in the high 60s when we first returned before winter descended once again; two snowy walkabout at Wesselman Woods–the largest old growth urban forest in America; noticing the ice formations all around our yard; appreciating the stunning contrast of winter birds’ plumage in the fresh white snow; and I will share that indulging in a long, hot bath is one of my dear pleasures in the winter–I have taken several soaks in these weeks that we have been back home.
Most WOW however are the vibrant blooms on the Meyer lemon tree, cozily overwintering in the greenhouse. This tree is legendary for its twice-yearly robust blooms, followed by dozens of lemons setting, then ripening to an unimaginable size (think: orange!) before I harvest them. Last years’ harvest was 64 lemons, most of them having set in the winter. This bloom seems to be following the same path…
Equally wondrous is this begonia that lives happily in the sunroom, giving us these magnificent blooms every January-February.
The Winter Woes are present as well. I know folks with Seasonal Affective Disorder, and although I do not have that full-blown response to winter, I have surely felt “off” during these past few weeks … Perhaps it is the bleakness of our what is occurring in our country, or the fact that we had a few days of single-digit cold temps, or that I have been relegated to exercising on our elliptical (effective but soooo boring), or that the wind made the low temperatures that much more unbearable, or that Vanda had one day during which we could not move from Park into Drive (does the cold do that???), or a combination of any of these admittedly first-world issues that led me to feeling anxious and overwhelmed. While I have always been, and likely always will be, a high-energy person–and a perfectionist, which can be a rough combination–I have not felt overtly affected by the winter in the past. In fact, I have always been an optimist as I find joy in small pleasures such as new leaves on our native coral honeysuckle or a unique pattern in an ice formation or sitting at my alter or sharing fresh-made food with friends. As well, my gratitude practice allows for meaningful balance in my life so that in especially troubling moments, I am able to focus on the abundance right in front of me to regain perspective and appreciation. These winter weeks however have found me feeling out of sorts…
We are very much looking forward to celebrating nature as we will soon be immersed in early migration of many stunning warblers as they head north to their breeding grounds — we will be mostly in Arizona and Texas to see these beauties, where we will not only hike every day and ride bikes as much as we have time for but we will be deeply appreciative of the warmer days and nights! Hiking in the desert, as we will soon be doing, is its own sort of nurturing experience.
Packing up the van over the past few days has been as fun as it always is–I continue to refine my checklists as I incorporate new learnings from each trip away. Tomorrow night, we will be eating and sleeping in Vanda as we will have embarked on this next adventure! Stay tuned for more… xo
