Monday, February 10, 2014

SEMI-HIBERNATING


I'm just sitting here in my comfortable cocoon of woodstove warmth, looking out at the setting sun and the sparkling interplay of light and shadows on ice and snow and water along the river. Everywhere surprising hues of golds and greens, yellows and fiery oranges, blues and violets and royal purples. A paintbox full of glorious color where most would expect the scene to be rendered in strictly black and white.

It's been awhile since my last post. Why puzzles even me. I truly don't know. Laziness, most likely. Certainly not apathy. Or lack of time…though energy has occasionally been hard to muster. Possibly I suffer from some heretofore recessive gene now manifesting and given to whispering incessantly, urging me to partake of hibernation's joys.

I have been reading and thinking and sitting around a lot. But not doing much extra snoozing that I notice. On the other hand, Myladylove says I'm turning into something of a bear, though I'm not sure that's recent news. Truth be told, I've been something of a bear most of my life; age has simply refined rather than mellowed these predilections.

At any rate, rest assured or be forewarned—I have every intention to get back to my sorta-regular posting frequency. If not this week, then next, or at least as soon as I can kick-start my currently oscitant spirit.

12 comments:

George said...

There's much to be said for semi-hibernation in winter, especially during the periods of extreme weather that many of us have been facing recently. At the moment, we're hunkering down for a snow/ice storm (Pax) that is coming through our way in the next couple of days. Your photos of the stream side winter are lovely and unexpectedly full of rich colors, but I'm still looking forward to those first daffodils. Hope the the worst of the flood damage is now behind you.

Arija said...

Grizz dear, hibernation in a wonderful winter sport. Unfortunately i have been forced into it because of extreme 109.3 F temp. For weeks now, we have had two to four days of these extreme temps. a week. Totally booking out windows to keep the heat out does not exactly add to happy spirits. The garden is burnt to a crisp, the lawn a dust bowl and at the doctors they are threatening to put me into the hospital to make sure I don't expire.
Too little water to have cooling showers during the day.
I have lately noticed that many bloggers are suffering the same disease. It just takes too much effort.
Maybe the trouble is in the alignment of the stars, who knows or maybe some of us just need a rest from it.

I would happily hibernate with your beautiful river view.

Penny said...

What a wonderful photo that top one is. so much lovely colour in it. I am hibernating too but from heat too many over 40 degree C days.
Glad you are ok, was a bit worried you hadnt posted for a while.

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - good to see you, love the wintry pictures. applauding your hibernation you ole bear you :-)
rest up, stock up, get your footing all in good time.
love gail
peace....

The Solitary Walker said...

If your body is telling you to hibernate a while, hibernate! Reading, thinking and sitting around in a cocoon of warmth sounds very good to me. As long as you have frozen salmon in the freezer, not to mention a plentiful supply of honey...

Grizz………… said...

George…

It's a cold -6˚F outside, but sunny with a clear blue sky to show off the white sycamores and snow, sparkle the icicles, and mirror in the water as a greenish turquoise. Quite lovely…from this side of the glass, anyway. Decidedly nippy, however, when I was out filling up feeders.

I'm ready to see a few daffodils myself. Last year at this time, there were already a few blooming around the cottage, along with lots of crocus, snowdrops, and winter aconites.

But spring and warmer weather will come, as it always does, in its own good time. And until then, I'll semi-hibernate and enjoy the season. At which point, we'll doubtless get seriously into flood damage repairs.

Grizz………… said...

Arija…

Hey, if I could, I'd happily give you the bottom twenty or so degrees of our weather—which would temper things in the right direction all around and make it more comfortable for everyone.

I don't envy your heat, though. I'd rather be on the too cold side than the too hot; I can always throw another log on the fire or add a sweater. Heat can be a real killer, literally, so you need to mind your doctors. I'm as bullheaded about such matters as anyone you'll ever know, and am convinced no doctor will ever know me and my capabilities and thresholds and needs like I know and understand them—but surviving excessive heat is probably not the best place to dig your heels in and get stubborn over. Sometimes we "forceful" folks have to listen to reasonable advice and capitulate.

Please take care…

Grizz………… said...

Penny…

Yup, I'm fine. Just lazy.

As I told Arija (above) given my boreal nature, I'd always rather deal with cold than heat. I've been watching the Olympics, and a couple of nights ago, they did a short piece on Siberia…and I'm sitting here thinking, "I could get into living in that wild and fantastically beautiful country, even if it does get -50˚ or -60˚F!" But you couldn't pay me enough to live in the tropics or an equatorial desert.

Stay in, stay as cool as possible, and take care.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

You've hit my plan exactly…rest up, stock up, get my footing all in good time. Though we have our Community Health Centers Board meeting Thursday evening, so I'm going to have to dig and salt the driveway hill sufficiently to coax get my pickup onto the road by then. Hibernatus interruptus.

Grizz………… said...

Solitary…

No frozen salmon in the freezer, but I have honey, tea, fresh-baked bread, and lots of other tasty goodies. And I'm sure you know me well enough to realize I'll grasp at almost any excuse to laze around getting really comfortable so's I can then snooze, snack, stoke the fire, listen to music, stare contemplatively, and read from my latest awaiting stack of books. Hibernation as I practice it is a very, very enjoyable interregnum.

AfromTO said...

Love the first photo- that sun's coral rays are stunning.

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

Me, too. It's one of my favorite-ever winter upriver shots. And that's exactly how it looked, too. Just amazing colors.