The pasture is frozen and so are the windows on the north side of my house. I made the following comment on Buck’s blog:
Ah the Februarys of our lives – one of the things that made me crazy in NM. February would start having these really great days, and then BAM it would turn really cold and snow. The good news was that it helped the ski areas immensely because they quit making snow in the spring and needed these Feb and March snows to get to the end of the ski season. But for me, who was already tired of snow, Feb. was the doldrums. It made me feel like my life was on hold due to the cold. I don’t know why I didn’t feel that way about March – maybe because the spring snows were not so cold and made for great skiing. Here in OK it is August that makes me crazy when I am so tired of the heat.
That truly is how I feel about February, but not so much here in OK as I did in NM. I remember the first year that Toby lived in NM. When Feb rolled around we started having some nice springish days. He got excited that spring was finally there. I remember telling him to not get excited yet; that we would still have lots of winter. And I was right. Cold, dreary days in Feb had a terrible effect on me. I could hardly make decisions in Feb due to my lack of enthusiasm. March was not so bad with wonderful spring skiing. I think we could see the light at the end of the tunnel or the end of ski season, so March was better. April was a dead month in NM. Everyone in town took off to see family or go on vacations to someplace warm. May was the month to begin getting ready for the summer season – switching out the winter for the summer, cleaning out, ordering the new, etc. Life in Red River was lived around the seasons and tourist industry. People worked hard through the ski seasons and summer seasons. They had to get it while the getting was good, and there is not much time for family and friends. But there are those months of down-time – I loved those times - very peaceful, quiet times in the fall and spring - with good friends.
Today is a sweatpants day – one where you might as well wear sweatpants and curl up with a good book. There is no point in getting dressed to go out. Outside is miserable, but it does not bother me like the Februarys of NM. It will be a good day to get some things done here at home and spend time with Jesse – Yes, she is stuck at home with us old fogies. She is matting a picture – which reminds me that I need to do some matting also. Springtime is just around the corner. I can handle this February of my life.
6 comments:
It sure is rainy and dreary in town. It's definitely a good day for sweat pants and a good book.
Rainy and dreary here, too. The predicted snow storm never materialized, which is a good thing in my book.
I hear you loud and clear about February. The end of February was always time for a short vacation when I lived Up Nawth (Rochester NY and Deetroit). By the end of February everyone was sick to death of the cold, snow, ice, and what-not. Those that could got the He77 out of Dodge... for a week, anyway.
It's much easier to roll with the February blahs on The High Plains, tho. We DO have the odd nice day day here and there.
Lou,
Thanks for this post. I am learning all I can about NM and your insight about February adds to my education.
Like Buck, I lived in Rochester NY (grew up there) and there just can't be anything in NM as bad as February was back there.
Even so, I am a winter person, so February snows won't bother me too much as long as there are sunny days as well. And I know that NM has sunny days that can practically blind you.
Keep writing your good stuff. I enjoy your blog so much!
Towanda, Santa Fe area is a little different than Red River. Santa Fe has grown to a much larger town and the tourist seasons are not as pronounced. It is also lower in elevation and therefore much warmer than the mountains near RR. If you are not in the tourist business, you will not notice the busy seasons except when you want to eat someplace special. The snows in NM are much dryer which makes it difficult to make a snowman, but much easier to deal with.
Today was beautiful wasn't it. I like days like today. The bad part was I out today not at home with sweat pants and a good book. I remember NM Februarys too. You long for summer, spring teases you and winter is relentless.
February in NM; I think I've talked myself into enjoying it before the heat of summer comes tumbling down on us like a stack of bricks once again.
Even with the mud bog roads!
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