First snow

Woke up this fine Monday morning to the first real snow of the season (see badly lit pic on the right), with maybe an inch or so of the white stuff coating the ground. I am not sure how much more (if anything) we are going to get today, I generally don't pay too much attention to the weather forecasts. Because the weather is pretty much almost always the same as yesterday. In fact there is a study somewhere (I am too lazy to go searching for it at the moment), that suggests that simply predicting a repeat of the prior day's observed weather leads to better, and more accurate forecasts than the ones that are developed by computer models and meteorologists.

But there is one 'truth' about weather that I immediately thought about this morning when I saw the snow: That weather (excepting for catastrophic events like hurricanes or tornados), is only interesting two or three times each year. 

The times when weather is actually interesting, (and exciting and perhaps even inspiring) are the first truly warm day in the Spring, the first cold, clear, crisp day in the Fall, and if you live in such a place that experiences this, the first 'real' snowfall of the year.

Aside from those two or three days each year, weather is more or less the same as yesterday, and consequently less and less interesting as the days/weeks trudge along.

I am on record as being totally done with the cold and snow of Western NY winters and am ready to move to somewhere like Vegas or South Florida as soon as I can pull it off. But even I got a little excited and enthusiastic upon seeing the puffy flakes coming down this morning. And I hate snow. Truly.

What's the bigger, more generally applicable point to this? 

Probably not much of one, sadly. Maybe that it is important to remember that while every day, day after day, can sort of feel the same, that there still exists the potential and capacity for excitement in the ordinary.

This little bit of snow here this morning actually foretells about five months of cold, wet, messy misery for me. But for today, at least for a few hours anyway, it looks incredibly exciting and full of possibility.

Have a great day - and stay warm if your day is a snowy one! 

Farewell 2010

Last day of 2010.

Time to look back, to look forward.  Time to sum up the year's events, either personally or professionally, and to assess the prospects for the coming year.  Despite the change in calendar affording none of us sudden and remarkable new perspective or insight.

I suppose for me, like many, 2010 was not the best year, certainly not one that played out as expected or desired. But I am not sure that it is really all that important or necessary to sort it all out, to evaluate or interpret the events that transpired within the boundary of an artificial construct of the calendar.

I think sometimes we do ourselves a disservice with the need to summarize, to compartmentalize, to decode the events, relationships, or desires of our lives using externally devised deadlines.

Sure, it is the last day of 2010. But today, I am not sure I want to attempt to decipher 2010 and plan 2011.

Today I think I want to watch the snow fall. (Email and RSS subscribers may need to click through)

For the folks that have spent some time here in 2010, I offer my sincere thanks. I am very appreciative and grateful that you have decided to spend some of your valuable energy and attention here with me. 

I wish you a 2011 that is everything you dream it will be.