If you are reading this now, you are over the hill. So am I. We’re all over the hill.
Let me explain: as of Saturday, December 21, at 4:21 a.m., the winter solstice arrived at our spot on the map. Winter began. That may sound bad, really bad, but that’s not true. From then on, the days will gradually become longer and longer. Okay, that’s not really true. Every day will still remain at 24 hours in duration. So what I meant to announce was that the number of daylight hours will increase, increase until we reach the valley of Summer Solstice. That’s when the number of daylight hours will decrease.
Seasonal lag means that the change in temperature will lag. It’ll take quite a while before we can break out the shorts and sandals, and slip the canoe into the St. Lawrence or some pristine Adirondack lake. Actually, that’s not necessarily true either, for some of you will be following the Canada geese to southern climes.
Ahead of us (those who remain here) are many days of scraping the windshield, turning up the thermostat, not using cruise control on the icy roads, using mitts while attempting to insert the keys in the car’s door lock and taking the dog for its daily constitutional of watering the utility poles. Toques, not ball caps, will be de rigueur. Hot chocolate will be the drink preferred over iced lemonade.
Remember, we’re now over the hill. The arduous climb to the summit is over. We should make good use of whatever Mama Nature throws at us during January, Fevrier, March and Avril. Go downhill skiing, ice fishing, stargazing, playing shinny hockey or building snow people. Use the back yard as a freezer. Try making a skating rink for the kids.
Airliners leap off the runway and into the sky well before the numbers, due to the fact that cold air is dense, providing more “bang for the buck” from jet engines and coarse pitch propellers thrashing around.
If you are over the hill chronologically speaking, do what you can, whenever you can, as often as you can.
