TO SLEEP UNDER A WINTER BLANKET
TO SLEEP UNDER A WINTER BLANKET

TO SLEEP UNDER A WINTER BLANKET

All the leaves have finally fallen. Even the aspens, whose leaves often hold to the very last. The earth, at least here in the Northeast US, is preparing for winter. The period of winter rest is upon us. That time of year where many changes can be hidden by a blanket of snow.

The period of winter is upon us. There may be snow cover throughout the season until it finally melts in the spring. Our freeze and thaw cycles are enough to change the depth of the snow pack but not always enough to melt the snow back to bare ground.

“To sleep, perchance to dream” William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I)

It seems natural to adapt to the increasing period of darkness by seeking more rest, even more sleep. Certainly farmers have long used winter as a time for repairing equipment, allowing animals to rest, and to prepare for the work in the spring. Even work that can be done in the winter often takes more time to complete.

Wild animals also change for the winter. Deer gather in their “yards” which allows the gestating does to prepare for birth in the spring. Other animals adapt to the snow cover, such as the snowshoe hare and the short-tailed weasel, who both turn from brown to white. And some birds, such as the owls and hawks, find it more difficult to hunt when the snow is deep.

The earth renews over the winter, almost like resting. Some farmers still call snow “poor man’s fertilizer” because it can help rejuvenate the soil. We humans can hunker down, stay inside, and resist. Or we can go outside, revel in the season, and enjoy the snow. Or as they say in Norway, “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær” (“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”.)