It felt like someone set the thermostat to 60 and it got stuck. Or that the calendar froze on the date October 27. For almost two months, the temperature has been around 60 with sunny skies. Even more frightening is that the mountains have just the thinnest covering of snow.
In Rocky Mountain National Park last week, most of the mountains were bare and the trails were clear; it could have been August. Even worse, the fire that started in the park on October 9 and has been smoldering for almost two months suddenly jumped from the steep inaccessible terrain to the valley floor below and raced across Moraine Park, pushed by strong winds. One home burned while others were threatened. The unthinkable—a destructive forest fire in what should be one of our coldest months—suddenly became real.
On a walk around the neighborhood last week, I glanced up to see a Christmas tree displayed in a front window and started to think “I can’t believe they still have their Christmas tree up,” forgetting for a moment that it wasn’t March or April but still December. Walking around the grocery store, the strains of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” made me suddenly long for not just a white Christmas but a white winter.
I start dreaming of a white winter, just like the ones I used to know when I was a child growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, where the treetops glistened with snow from November through March, where we built igloos in the back yard, had snowball fights and ice skated on ice that was naturally frozen by Mother Nature.
I’m dreaming of cold nights in Colorado that might kill the pine beetle, of several feet of snow on which to snowshoe or ski—snow that penetrates the ground and keeps alive the ponderosa pines at my cabin. I’m dreaming of snow that fills the reservoirs, so next spring the farmers have enough water to grow their crops. I promise, I won’t complain about having to shovel snow out of the driveway or driving on icy roads.
It’s hard not to enjoy the balmy days. At the cabin, I still haven’t brought in my deck chairs from the porches. On a day where it’s 50 degrees and the wind is calm, I’m still able to sit outside, enjoy the view, smell the pines and gaze at the still bare Mount Meeker (on top; photo above was taken a year ago near the cabin).
In Boulder, people walk around in shorts and tank tops. On a recent night on the downtown mall, diners sat outside for their meals, enjoying the balmy night, as if it were a beautiful summer evening, making the Christmas lights and decorations even more incongruous.
I’m not necessarily asking that all our days be merry and bright; I just want our winter to be white again.
My dreams are of this, too. Even more so when I think about this next summer...and fire season. And after your last post, it was ironic that this past week I found I also have a packrat...in my basement. He had been stealing fishing nets!
Posted by: Erin Block | December 08, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Amen to this, Kathy. I'm wishing for a white winter too.
Posted by: Julene Bair | December 08, 2012 at 02:18 PM
I hope you get some cold, white weather soon. warm winters with little snow are very worrisome. We haven't had to clear snow once yet this year and though one is grateful for less work and less heating, having a few feet of snow on the ground is comforting. At least it is below freezing most of the time, not crazy warm like where you are. We have given up on the "Cold enough to kill the pine beetle" dream. Apparently, at least two weeks below -40 are needed for that and we haven't had that kind of cold in decades. Most of the forest around us is dead from the beetle and that makes the fires all the more frequent and more devastating when they come.
Posted by: Laurel | December 09, 2012 at 09:54 AM
My dreams too. I feel guilty enjoying the warm weather while fearing what is going to happen to the streams and plants and animals and farmers next year if we don't get some snow soon. I miss seeing the snowy landscape and am upset to see my lilac tree trying to produce buds already. Thank you for writing this.
Posted by: shoney | December 10, 2012 at 07:26 AM
I so feel for you all! It's pouring here in CA and hopefully it will be snow for you all as the sierras are deep in it! I too loved our winters as a kid, with our three natural ice skating rinks and our sledding hill!! The igloos are such a fond memory and when you talk of this I can be there now. So much fun we had!! I'm sending out a xmas order for some snow for you all in CO!
Posted by: Sally | December 23, 2012 at 05:30 PM