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"Short Notes" | will's weblog | current entries |

| 5-6 dec | 11-13 dec | 18-22 dec | christmas |

Holiday Greetings: the christmas tree adventure | holiday gift ideas

28 dec | Winter Arrives |

Yeah, I know. It's been here already | And like the old coot whose truck I shot while driving into work one day, I feel downright curmudgeonly about winter this year.

I suppose it gets less alluring as one gets older; or when I'm looking out at the back lot staring at the woodpile, wondering (as I do every single winter) if I've stacked and split enough wood. I probably have, but I certainly haven't brought enough of the wood close to the house for practical purposes. And there are few things less inspiring (though not less invigorating) than having to trudge outside at 2 in the morning in your skivvies and mudboots to grab more wood for the stove. Something I've had occasion to do every now and again.

Winter brings a certain beauty, however, with which no other season seems able to compete. Living in New England, land of maple syrup and (again) curmudgeonly Yankees, that beauty is so often characterized by picture postcard images right outside one's door. In this image, more like across the road and by the rural route mailboxes.

That hill ~steeper than it seems~ can be a real adrenaline rush when icy.

And then there's the river. It used to be that the river remained open all year, thanks to the nuclear power plant just within sight (on the center right of the picture, at the left side of the first spit of land jutting out). Closed down since 1997, being "decommissioned" the river once again freezes over. The coal and oil barges cutting their way through as they traverse up the waters and down every day.

There are other faces of winter which we don't get to see from Connecticut's perspective, and which seem worth showing as well.

The first from an article in last Sunday's New York Times that spends a lot of time trashing family farmers. The piece writes about some who are certainly farmers in name, but who basically harvest tax free dollars for not working their fields.

Describing plots and scheming for federal "farm relief" money, which corporate agri- businesses might more ably (and ruthlessly) exploit such legal loopholes, but the Times piece just indicts smaller sized farmers.

Little surprise that a mega-media corporation would diss little folk. Lord knows there just ain't enuf to share to let ordinary people benefit as well.

To the west, winter just looks brown | Although lack of snow doesn't mean it's unappealing. Since coming back from NorCal last November I've watched the Weather Channel's take on temperatures and weather patterns where I'd been. By comparison with New England, the temps have been basically balmy.

I'm certainly aware that other difficulties can crop up with warm and dry conditions, (honest, I fully appreciate what dry weather can do to one's well). Right now we have cold air coming up from the cellar and promise of a major snowstorm headed our way. Now don't rush to adjust the color tint on the monitor but, metaphorically speaking, those Mendocino grasses (like the ones on the photo to the right of this) certainly are looking greener than what we have out East.

Out fer now! ~Will Brady

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| 5-6 dec | 11-13 dec | 18-22 dec | christmas |

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about "Short Notes"

"Short Notes" was the title of a column I wrote while working for a newspaper in the Adirondack Mountains some years ago. The format was similar to what you'll find here, except augmented with pictures and maps. The subject matter shall sometimes be personal, at other times comments on events or situations of which I am aware. Comments, suggestions welcomed but not always acted upon.

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This website is maintained by Will Brady / wbrady@connix.com / Last update: see most recent entry

since 12 June 1999