So I’m reading along in a fascinating little book, Horse Brain/Human Brain, which details how equines and people perceive and process the world in different (or similar) ways. One of the similarities is, the horse’s eye, by about age 20, is no longer taking in light as effectively as it did at age seven.
I did not know this happens to people too. As we age we don’t see as well in dim or very bright light (I though it was just me), in part because we adjust more slowly to changes in brightness, and in part because the window pane of our eye gets cloudier. I should know this. I was literally born cross-eyed and I wore glasses by age three, but I did not come across this fact previously.
This might explain why I so enjoy the brilliance of sunlight on snow, which I’m in a position to appreciate today. At this coldest, bleakest (ye gods my heating bill!) time of year, we can also get the highest blasts of natural, cheerful illumination. I really like that. The summer sun tends to accompany too much heat, as well as a lot of, “Where is my hat, my sunscreen, my lip screen…” fussing.
Winter sun is just purely wonderful. I also think the absence of bugs is just purely wonderful. Right up there on the same list is the absence of kittens at this time of year. Kittens in the abstract are wonderful-plus, but you-will-never-catch-me kittens peeking out from under my summer kitchen in the spring are a testament to my failure (thus far!) to trap-neuter-vaccinate-release my way to a feral-free property. But come winter, when many of the wilder cats will creep into the house during a cold snap, I often trap in higher numbers, and this fortifies me to keep up the good fight.
And speaking of felines and their less endearing traits… there I was, minding my own business, sorting socks and undies by the dryer when I heard that signature thump of a soft, feathered body against glass. Wings beating. Uh-oh.
Came into the living room to find a small blue jay frantically climbing the window while a half a dozen cats batted ineffectually, swatted, and generally menaced the poor creature. Mind you, jays are not my favorite bird, but this one was a guest in my home, as I am a guest in hers. I feed wet food to the cats every day to reduce their predatory activities, but I doubt this bird just spontaneously hopped through the cat door to say hi.
Caught the bird in my hands, which she tolerated calmly. Took her to the porch, lifted my hands and… off she flew, perching way up on a limb of the nearest big pine tree. She flew just fine, she perched just fine. What a story she will have to tell the grandkids! I am still delighted that she will live to tell it. Nature can go be red in tooth and claw on 
somebody else’s watch, so there!
And this is how I get through another cold snap, another double severe weather warning, another weekend fretting over the power going out (wood stove stocked and ready to fire up).
What small delights have come your way, or cheer your from memory, despite bleakness, despite bodily woes, despite everything?
We are older and after the loss of my horse, now petless, but cat sitting for two of our grandcats for a couple weeks has been wonderful. They cuddle, purr, beg for food and demand attention in a way that only a loved kitty can. It’s been a delight to have them.
And their owners, I assure you, are delighted have reliable, trustworthy, affordable pet-sitters!
I am joyfully getting lost in the Winter Olympics right now. I don’t like subscriptions but I got a short-term peacock subscription so I can watch when I want and how I want. That means I watch the replays only so that I can watch the athletes but skip through the scores, especially for those events that have a subjective score. So I get the pure joy of the winners and even those who don’t win but are just happy to be competing. The only problem is lots of TV time and no commercials so it’s really cutting into my reading time!
I have wonderful associations with the Winter Olympics. My daughter was born in early Feb, and that year, the Olympics were timed between about her second and fourth weeks of life. I still had leave, and she had colic. We stayed up late, late watching the Olympics, or… I stayed up late sprawled on the couch, she sprawled on me, and thus we got through some otherwise challenging weeks, and probably got in some bonding that would not have happened otherwise.
I’m getting a bit tired of the snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. But I did spot a cardinal in the back yard the other day. And yesterday I saw two blue jays in the magnolia tree next door. Definitely lifted my spirits!
Got my taxes done while people were leaving me alone. Weak yay!
Also did a mighty batch baking, which not only warmed the house, but gave me lots of fast meals in the freezer for later.
Lucky enough to have a dishwasher with a timer, so I’ve been setting it to run before dawn so I wake up to clean dishes in a warmed kitchen.
I have two cats who are around 3 years old. They just showed up at my house when they were kittens – which was being rebuilt due to a house fire – but they weren’t siblings. They detested each other then and they still do now.
My small delight is that the most skittish of the two will now spend days in the house. Today she let me walk to her when she was outside, pick her up and bring her in. She spent most of the day dozing on a chair while I read nearby.
Having my other cats accept her will take a while longer… I have 13 cats and one dog. The dog is okay with all of them.
The snow keeps coming… and coming!
My husband was hospitalized last week for 5 days in between storm #1& #2.
I was lucky that a friend has plowed us out for the past 3 weeks. I was able to hire a local neighbor to snowplow the top of the driveway & clear the walkways.
I worked from home and drove to the hospital after work.and kept up with the shoveling and housework.
I took time out to read-3 WWIi spy novels and I watched Westminster dog show . The corgis kept me company.
The sun is setting later, the birds are visiting the feeders and the Spring catalogs have arrived.
Spring is on its way!
For me, one of the happiest thing this time of year is the Maricopa County Winter Reading Program. Adults are encouraged to read for 500 minutes or more a day. This year I won a prize – a sunrise alarm clock. I didn’t need it and paid it forward but I was thrilled to be chosen. Five hundred minutes is less than 10 minutes a day for the two-month contest and I like to go big. So far I’m up to 20,000 minutes with one more week to go. That won’t be my highest score; I earned 25,000 points (minutes) three years ago, but I’ve got too much on my plate to get close. However, it’s a lovely reason to be able to put off cleaning and other tasks: I’ve got to finish that library or Kindle book or get to that audiobook to build up more points.
Hoping that your cold snap ends soon, Grace.
Snow allows me to take time out for myself. I can read all day without guilt. Feed the birds repeatedly to help keep them alive and the squirrel out of the feeders. I feed them also. It give me happiness just watching them eat.
The winter sun is a benediction. It warms my house, (less heating), my cats stretch out in the windows and say ooh la la. I can back always and the house stays warm and smells wonderful. Making chicken stock and freezing it for busier days.
Hot soup and warm bread in a sunny, warm kitchen, cats in my windows, birds outside my windows this is my idea of heaven. 🙂
I immediately think of hummingbirds. I have got a feeder right outside my kitchen window and I love seeing them come and take a sip. I was taking it in last night to clean and refresh and a hummingbird zoomed in right to my face as if to say “just where do you think you are going with that?”
I am in Phoenix btw
I must admit we’ve had an unusually warm winter. Generally, the temperature drops below freezing in mid-November and doesn’t come up until March. The clouds have rolled in and hugged the earth in our valley keeping us close to a maritime climate. We’re all concerned that our fruit trees (major industry) will break dormancy too early.
I remember well the evening of my 7th birthday. It falls on July 4th, and my Dad’s family had assembled for swimming, boating, eating. I was so tired, but felt so loved. Most of my Dad’s family had come around to quietly wish me a happy birthday, even if they couldn’t remember my name. I was “Tommy’s girl” and that was enough.
It was minus 27C with a windchill of minus 33C (that’s about minus 27F) this morning when I got up. That’s super cold even for here at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The good news is that the lake is frozen, so hopefully no more lake effect snows. Also, lots of sunshine when it’s this cold. I actually like this weather since it is an excuse to stay inside and sew some new clothes — and listen to Lord Julian’s latest adventures while working away. Winter bliss!
I enjoy reading all of your stories so much. We are lucky right now – we had over a week of unusually cold weather – for us – and thank goodness we are back to something like normal. I live in Alabama and if it gets below freezing, we are likely to lose our power. If there is ice on the roads, no one here knows how to drive. (not kidding)
I’m just looking forward to spring!