Today I bid a fond adieu to my least favorite month. With its short dark days, it constantly batters at me. The shop is bitter cold, and even the birds seem furtive while chattering at the feeders.
OK, I am also disappointed with February that promptly follows. At least in February, I plan the garden and prepare to sow seeds indoors. Just after Valentine’s day, I begin tapping our few maples for sap. Then it’s boil, boil, and boil for the sweet stuff. At last, there is enough snow to put on the snowshoes and head into the adjacent woods. The days start visibly lasting longer. Towards the latter part of the month, the effort to heat the workshop/ greenhouse slacks off enough that working there becomes a pleasure.
Again, I don’t love February, but I have a deal with it. It’s a hard cold month, but it eventually yields to more promising months.
I know that my winter angst is mostly subjective and individual. But show me a person, in this latitude, who effuses joy for January, and I’ll show you one hell of a sick individual!
With apologies; to January lovers where ever you are – good luck.
9 Replies to “So Long January!”
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As you say adieu to your least favourite month, I say Bonjour to mine, February! Tuesday is my least favourite day, and to me, February is 28 Tuesdays in a row – 29 in a bad year!
I feel your pain! I create activities for what would otherwise be a brutal month.
The ones who like January are the ones for whom it’s the birthday month! I’ve noticed over the years that people tend to like their birthday months best of all. 😊
One lady back circa 1899 would say how glad she was when Jan was over, because “Now the back of winter is broken.” A girl recorded this comment in her diary, saying it sounded rather murderous. 🙂
However, I think the only people who welcome January are those south of the Equator. (Unless Southern folks like their weather being a little cooler?)
Thanks for joining today’s prompt.
Maybe I shouldn’t comment here. I may be sliced and diced quickly. I have only 2 arms 2 legs and one very feeble brain. Winter gives me a small respite from the outside work so I can spend more doing inside work with less guilt. I do not care for the dark gloomy days but as a very fair skinned person with blue eyes, I find sun often intense and blistering. I fade in the heat and don’t turn it on that much in winter. I do get how you feel though. Walking outdoors is so much harder in winter and I turn on every light in the house to keep the SAD under control. We move less, eat more and basically hibernate in the cold months then work it off all summer. January was an extra long month this year for some reason though. I too am ready to move on. Any minute now. 🙂 We’ve had a really warm winter here so that doesn’t help you there.
Your comment is welcome, as is your perspective, and you make some really good points; it’s all a matter of personal perspective. We always need to remember that one person’s joy is another’s grief. My uncle Lenny moved away from the northeast and went to Southern California. He missed the seasons in the northeast, but only rarely returned because he didn’t miss it enough to shovel massive amounts of snow.
Gordon Bok wrote a song called the Hills of Isle au Haut:
Away and to the westward
there’s a place a man should go
Where the fishing’s always easy
And they’ve got no ice or snow
But I’ll haul down the sail
Where the bays come together
Bide away the days
On the hills of Isle au Haut
And the song proceeds. Bok said that the most important word in the song was “but”. And I’ve found out that he’s pretty much right.
Great song. But is a huge word! I couldn’t wait to leave Southern California. Oregon felt the most like Germany with the lush green. Winters are getting milder though. Germany is getting warmer too. Our experiences give us different perspectives. A heat stroke affected mine. The only time in my life I thought for certain I was dying.
Looks like we had similar thoughts for today. Buh-bye January!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great minds think similar thoughts, and such like that…?