There is something to be said for habitually hibernating in winter. In my case, circumstances nearly demanded it, and now I am used to it, perhaps even relishing it. Bears R Us.
Our previous house on McGrath Pond in Belgrade was reached by three-tenths of a mile of twisty, icy camp road through the woods. I cannot tell you how many visitors and delivery people got stuck. UPS refused to come at all until spring.
One time I decided to walk up with our dog to get the mail, only to find a really heavy box at the end of the driveway. To this day, I’m not sure how I made it home. The dog was no help at all, and I remember leaning against a high snowbank trying to catch my breath, sweating (!), wondering what the hell I had been thinking. The mail-fetching-on-foot was never to be repeated.
Now, though we live in town in Farmington, we have another tricky, if much shorter, driveway. Even with no bad weather, it’s perfectly possible for me to clip the corner of the house or run into the rhododendrons one way/stone wall the other as I back out down the slope. Factor in a four-foot pile of snow left by our excellent plow guy, and I’m staying home.
I don’t ski or snowshoe or snowmobile. The last time I ice-skated, I twisted my ankle and limped around for weeks. With one replaced knee and another ready to give up the ghost, my mobility is not the best in the best of times. So my sedentary ways become sendentary-er once December rolls around.
I’d like to say this is great for my writing, but that would be a lie. It is also not great for my waistline or Vitamin D consumption. I do a fair bit of gardening, dog-brushing, and zhuzhing in our backyard in the summer, but winter is not conducive to such activities. I will dream indoors over my seed packets instead and vacuum up the dog hair.
However, I’m writing a murder mystery set in December on a Maine island, so I hope to use my aversion to all things frigid and freezing to set the grim tone. Winter’s got to be good for something, right?
“The path to the ice house is icy, which suddenly strikes me as funny. It is not a house at all, but a hole, kind of a cave, built deep into a mound of earth and rocks on the way to our beach. Two overgrown lilac bushes guard it. I know that it’s a fancy, but sometimes when I open the ice box door I can smell spring.”
Are you a fan of cold weather? Inspired by the wooliness in the L.L. Bean catalog? Or are you planning a cruise to the Bahamas? Have a wonderful holiday season no matter where you are!
I don’t dislike winter (no lawn mowing, etc.), but the opportunity to lie on the bed with our dog snuggled beside me, while reading a new book is a big part of my winter lifestyle.
I like your lifestyle, John. During the day, though, my dog thinks my bed is his and he doesn’t want to share, LOL.
There’s a lot to be said for adopting a hygee lifestyle in the cold weather months. Happy Holidays, Maggie!
Sounds much more sophisticated and less lazy in a foreign language!
I cut back on car travel activities in winter, but I love to strap on the snowshoes and hike the hills. I think my attraction to winter activities comes from 40 years in Florida!
You are a better woman than I!
Add me to the stay-at-home camp in winter. Summer, too, for that matter. It helps to live out in the country in a beautiful state like Maine. Kathy/Kaitlyn
Total agreement!
I’ve lived in snowy climes in the past and am now in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. No snow yet. When driving I automatically check houses and driveways rating the ease or difficulty of getting in or out during winter. Some habits don’t die!
Not anonymous! Pat Dupuy