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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Hibernation

Pin It The frosty mornings have been far more frequent as of late, and they serve as a reminder to the stockpiles of memories I’ve laid up against the cold and icy winter months which undoubtedly lie ahead.

Summer.

It seems to be nothing more than the passing of a dream, really. What was once in the here in the now seems so long ago, left beyond the barriered months of autumn. The distinct bite in the air is an admonition to certain creatures that the time of slumber is rapidly-approaching. You’ve got it, my friends…

Hibernation.

There are times when I wish I were like the varied species of mammals which bed down for the lengthy months of winter, and find themselves in a deep sleep, only to awaken once more when the arctic snows have begun to liquefy, and the world finds itself yet again burgeoning with life anew—not unlike the scene in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe; when all of Narnia is finally freed from the spell of the White Witch and magic of spring is freed yet again.

Ah, to sleep away the cold winter months like the raccoons and skunks, as well as chipmunks and bats which nestle down in a warm cocoon of sorts. Wait; make that more like good old Ursus Americanus—the American black bear. Not only with the constellation, Ursus Major illustrating it in the sky, but also boasting a pretty impressive catnap record to boot.

Did you realize that the black bear can go for as long as 100 days during his sleepy period without drinking, eating, exercising, or even going to the bathroom?

Now that is the life for me.

I think the bears are onto something.

So I say bring on the winter lethargy and days filled with nothing but the slow, dream-filled slumbering away of the cold and snow! Let the sleep move us past the immovable cars and slick roads! Bring on a siesta through the frozen walkways and nipped noses of January! Forget the infinitesimal moments of December 24th to enjoy a Christmas Eve, but instead bed down for a four-decimal-five months or so until April, with the budding flowers poking up under spring’s dewy heels! Forget snowball fights and catching snowflakes on one’s tongue with cups of steamy hot chocolate afterwards in Peanuts mugs! Bring on deepened sleep and a lack of building snowmen and sledding down wintery hills encrusted with glimmering ice, like thousands of shimmering blands of glitter! Bring on the hibernation and disregard five snowy months of school and a class of twenty-two students…

Never mind; on second thought, hibernation is for the bears...

14 comments:

Rachel said...

Have you ever smelt a "cave" after a bear has been hibernating for so long? It stinks!

I'm with you.....hibernating is for the bears. I love all of the seasons. They match my personality. Just as I get tired of one..it changes to another...and as I get tired of that one...here comes another....

It is the only change that I like really...and I embrace it!

My favorite in the winter is when the world is covered in snow, night and darkness have firmly settled themselves, and it is snowing. The world is asleep and the falling snow has a dampening effect on the world. A sound room. A huge sound room all around me. Just me, the quiet, and the falling snow.......

mywest said...

My sweetheart always loved the changing seasons that brought on its own special beauty. Winter with her white blanket that made our town look clean and beautiful. Spring that brought on the much anticipated sprouting of new life that brought brilliant colors to our yard and vivid flowers for our home. Summer where she loved the water and swimming with the family. She swam like a fish and was in the best of moods when around water. And fall when mother earth changes her coat to the vivid changing of colors. She loved to travel in the fall as there was such beauty everywhere if one would just slow down and look.
I would like to have a glimpse into the heavens and see her once more, surrounded with all the beauty our Heavenly Father has for us to enjoy.
Sweetheart I love you!

Gerb said...

As much as I dislike the snow, I would hate to miss out on watching my kids enjoy it. And I'll admit to enjoying a good book, wrapped in a warm blanket with my feet over the heater vent while watching the snow fall, untouched, out the window.

However, when I think of winter driving, hibernation is a bit tempting!

L said...

As much as I loathe driving in the mess of unplowed roads and novice drivers I do love the sledding and winter fun that accompany's that blanket of snow.

Richard & Natalie said...

This is how I know I am getting old. The younger me looked forward to winter and loved to "play" in that wonderful blanket of white; especially flying down a hill on 2 fiberglass sticks. This year I seem to be dreading it. Hibernation sounded like a great plan, but now you've given me some great reasons to to anticipate those first flurries. Thanks.

mamahasspoken said...

Sorry the only good thing about snow is having a snowday off. I call them a gift from God to enjoy and embrace.

Teachinfourth said...

Rachel - I never stopped to think about the smell...there's another reason to avoid hibernation, right?

I love that feeling you talked about with it just being you and the falling snow. There is something magical about it, isn't there?

Dad - Winter does that to a town doesn't it? It can mask over so much and make it seem beautiful. We should really all slow down to stop and enjoy each of the seasons we are afforded...

Gerb - I guess you really do need to take the good with the bad, don't you? Wouldn't it be great to have 'warm' snow?

Lars - There are those good things we'd miss out on, aren't there?

Natalie - I used to work at a ski hill when I was in high school and I know exactly what you mean...every weekend I looked forward to my shift ending to hit the slopes. As I get older, my outlook changes somewhat; I'm just glad that I can still enjoy the wonderful months of winter.

Bonnie - Snow Days? Those are terrible! Don't you have to make them up in the spring?

We never have snow days...

Just SO said...

I love watching the snow and going for walks in the gently falling snow holding hands with my husband. I don't like the shoveling.

mamahasspoken said...

You've never had a snowday? Oh my goodness! That's the best part of teaching! Getting the automative phone call saying school is cancelled for the day, rolling over, kicking the hubby out of bed, snuggling back down in the covers and sleep the morning away. Spending the day in your pj's, watching old movies on tv, Ohhh I'm so looking forward to the first snow day of the year! And normally, we only have 2-3 full snow days (vs hour-2 hour delay)a year. Considering that we get out before Memorial Day with no snow days, not so bad adding it to the end of the school calendar.

Rachel said...

Yes, very magical.

You ski! I worked as well during my high school years at the local ski area. I instructed for several years. Absolutely loved it........haven't been skiing in years! SOB!!!!

Anaise said...

We've had a strange reprieve from Winter in these first weeks of November--I had to pull short-sleeved shirts out of their storage box to keep my children from evaporating--Winter seems far away at the moment . . .

Corine Moore said...

When you got to the part about hibernation, and listed all the things that you would skip out on - I kept shaking my head and with increasing intensity I found my self saying, "no,...no!...no!!...NO WAY!!!! - Holy cow, I totally disagree!"

But alas... you came through at the end with sound words of wisdom. LOL - I'm very proud of you. :) he he

As much as I can't stand being cold, I am like Arlene, loving every season fully. I love winter! I love looking out the window at night and watching the snow fall...coming round a corner of my home and being pummeled by snowballs from my boys' hands - smiles curling up from their mouths as they instigate a fight they know they are sure to win! :D Walks outdoors among the falling snow; the brightness that comes into the windows at night as a result of the snow; and sledding down the steep and famous Cherry Hill laughing all the way. I love it all!

Warm winter wishes to you from me! :D

jayne wells said...

I cannot tell you how many times I have thought how awesome hibernation sounds. Thought it is true, I really would hate to miss all of winter, the hot chocolate, snowmen, kids in snow clothes... I still think I could hibernate through most of January and not miss much!

Farscaper said...

I feel like I moved the wrong direction. I grew up in Phoenix. NO SNOW. We couldn't wait to go cut down our own Christmas tree because it typically meant we got to tromp around in snow. BUT... because we only got exposed to snow maybe once a year (sometimes we bought our tree locally and missed out on the snowy mountains) we never had snow gear. I hated getting wet feet that never warmed up - no matter how much hot chocolate I downed.

Now I live were it snows.... I no longer want to play in it... I dread shoveling it... dispise scraping ice off my windows so I can drive in it.

One LOVE I do have is in the middle of the night when all the houses and dogs are quiet and it snows.... and snows.... and snows.... The incredible QUIET that screams at me is unbelieveable. That is something that cannot be experienced in Phoenix.

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