Weather or not

Whenever I am reading a book and the author begins a paragraph describing the weather it is an immediate blinking light for me to start skimming. I hate descriptions of weather and rather think it is a waste of paper. I can barely get through Walden or Carson where it seems sometimes that the whole book is about weather. Some authors are very pithy about their weather descriptions. I don’t remember skimming too much in any Ayn Rand book. I don’t mind descriptions of Dagny’s dresses. Or Hank Reardon’s chiseled features. I will admit that sometimes I will have to go back to find pertinent info about whether it was snowing when Harry had his last quidditch match and that was why Hermoine had to put a defogging spell on his glasses. I do pay a little more attention to weather in the Outlander series simply because sometimes it is life and death there in colonial America.

However, weather is such an amazing factor in our lives. I am not even going to bring up the major disasters that it has brought on our country currently. That will only make for a “The end of the world is coming” chant. And who wants that no matter how timely it would be? I am just going to stick to my little corner of the world. Yesterday it was mild and warm for a November Sunday and so my little family went out and worked on the fence and planted some trees. The weather was a gift as it enabled us to get in a little unplanned family activity. My glam job allowed me to go out and do a paper route this morning at 2 am but again, the weather was warm and windy and I caught myself enjoying the alone time in the dark. Pleasant is the word that comes to mind. Finally this morning as Cooper and I were driving up to Grandma’s the clouds were breaking over the mountains and the blue sky was making a glorious appearance promising a good day.

Especially with my “fragile” mentality I am a sun worshipper. I no longer make it to the beach……well, ever but I drink in the sun whenever I can. Especially in the winter. I open every single one of the blinds in our house every single day. Yes, I may not be there while the sun is coming in the window but I can know that the sun did come in the window while I was away and the imprint of the rays are still there on the counter, couch, floor. My in-laws believe in and live by the whole “sun fades things” theory. True enough but no sun fades my soul.

Christmas is around the corner and there is nothing more warming than a beautiful snowstorm. I went to High School in Maryland. Not a whole lot of snow every year but a lot of ice. EVERY morning we would wake up and listen to the radio for the inevitable announcement of 1 to 2 hour delay from school. When I was a senior we were off of school for an entire 2 weeks. I still feel the joy of watching the snow stack up on the sidewalk thinking of the glee we all felt and lived in those unplanned days of sledding, skiing and sleeping in. Now living in Utah I don’t think my kids will ever see a day off of school for weather and my job keeps me wishing for mild winters for my night time driving carriers, however, there is still something magical about waking up to a Jack Frost job well done snowstorm.

So, I am going to try and stop skimming so much as I am reading by my window soaking up the sun and looking out on the last leaves of the aspens blowing in the wind. And I might just look into a job as a meteorologist.