A Few Thoughts On These Cold Mornings

Quiet, brisk mornings, interrupted only by a passing car. Terry Sprague photo

The last few frigid mornings have presented some challenges to people like me who like to start the day off with a brisk walk – in my case, a total of five km to Baycrest Marina and back. I never knew the breeze off the Bay of Quinte could be so cold! I don’t “love” this weather as some people will claim; but I don’t complain about it either. My dog and I leave at 6:30 a.m., just as the first hint of light is starting to appear on the horizon. The walk takes us about 50 minutes. I think our Shih-tzu must have been born outside in the dead of winter or, at least, lived the first few months of her life before we got her in the Yukon somewhere. Her tail is curled tightly over her back and the colder the day, the more she seems to enjoy it. These early morning walks are special to us – quiet, with only two or three cars on the road at that hour. We spot cottontails crossing the road in front of us, and one morning two ruffed grouse exploded from a red cedar less than 10 feet away and scared both of us half to death. If Christie could swear, I am sure she would have; I know I did. The crunch of the snow these mornings, the creaking of trees straining under the extreme temperatures and the call of a distant great horned owl. We are not alone in our enjoyment of these mornings for we see cars parked along the road belonging to anglers who arrive long before we do, while it is still dark.  I have no interest in going south for the winter as that would spoil the four seasons and weather types we have come to enjoy right here. There is a malady we hear about every year at this time called SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. I am not suggesting that it isn’t a genuine illness, but I do suggest that it never affects those who are outdoor enthusiasts. Certainly the anglers sitting out in the middle of the bay in the dark don’t seem to be affected.  Regardless of what I am professing, come late February I may be singing another tune, as I wait in anticipation of spring rains, singing frogs and melting snow. For now though, I am taking it one day at a time and enjoying what each new day offers.