Зима

It is still Fall, if you go by the astronomical calendar. We are still weeks away from the Winter Solstice. But for those who tend to measure seasons by the weather, Winter has arrived in these parts. The second winter storm of the season has hit; this one put enough snow on the ground to cover the grass. Plows and sanding trucks were out on the streets last night and today, homeowners are shoveling/plowing/snowblowing out their sidewalks and driveways.

Some places are barely touched by Winter, but when Winter makes a visit, they panic. There are other places where Winter arrived weeks ago.

The cold and the ice and the snow can dangerous. Someone will fall on the ice and break a bone. Someone who is out of shape will have a heart attack from shoveling snow. Idiots will learn the hard way that four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive do not improve the effectiveness of the vehicle's brakes. (I've driven roads after snowstorms and noted that most of the vehicles that have gone off the road are SUVs.)

I can't do much flying in Winter. Between snow and ice on the wings, digging the airplane out and preheating the engine, it can take hours to prepare for a simple flight around the area and, as I get older, I find myself less willing to put forth the effort.

Still, there is something nearly magical about Winter. The earth sleeps; the Russian words for "earth" and "winter" are very similar. There is a sense that life is resting and reflecting. On a cold day, the air is crisp, sound travels a great distance and it can be almost completely silent. The weather can be challenging and sometimes it has to just be endured, eventually it will pass and Spring will arrive.

But for now, it's the time to settle in with a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and a purring cat.