Transition from Night to Dawn and Winter to Spring

Transition of Seasons

Winter or Spring?

   Well we are now into the month of March, midway in fact. But outside a fierce winter storm is raging - at a time when Spring should be peeking in around the corner in between sunny days and blustery winds so typical of this time of year. But nothing seems typical anymore when it comes to weather patterns, so the key perhaps is to be flexible and ready for anything.
   It has been a very mild winter here thus far, with many days above 50 degrees farenheit, even in February, traditionally one of our coldest months of the year. We thought we would get lucky with only 3 little snow storms, but now it seems we are paying the price.

The last gasp of Winter

   The weather experts are calling it Winter Storm Stella. It began on the west coast of the United States as a fairly big storm moving across the country, leaving lots of snow in the midwest, including Chicago, yet my brother in Michigan reported only about an inch of snow. Meanwhile, in the southern U.S., another storm was brewing and moving north, a warmer rain event, but slowly but surely it moved up the east coast of the U.S. On its way, as it moved towards colder climates, it left snow and cold weather in places like Tennessee that generally does not get much snow.
   But the amazing fact of these two storms is that they merged and they moved towards each other in the northeast U.S. in places like Washington D.C., New Jersey, New York and Boston. The merging of two storm systems is often called the "Perfect Storm" - not so much in that it is perfect, but indicative of its intensity and scope and precipitation.
   We all waited anxiously watching the weather modules, and as sometimes happens, the southern storm hit more of southern New York as first freezing rain, now rain and perhaps later on tonight as snow, still an all day event. Originally the snow was forecast to be 1 -2 feet. Instead the snow moved further inland and up into central New York State and Albany, our state capital. Connecticut too is getting significant snow fall.
   And we also have to add in the factor of the wind. It is indeed very very windy, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. Sustained winds of 70 miles per hour or more are considered hurricane force, so this gives an indication of the strength and fury of the storm and wind.
   And Spring is officially arriving in 7 days!

Waiting for Spring

   So why talk about weather and storms and patterns? Because this is a part of natural living for real. To be aware of what goes on around you in life and in nature, rather than just what you read from a weather report or the weather channel. It can be fascinating and enlivening. Even yesterday was truly a calm before the storm. Everything was still and quiet, it was sunny, cold and crisp, with no evidence of what was to come. How quickly things can change.

Little Fawn in Center, and the Twins Last Year

The Twins Last Year

   It also makes me think of the animals and how they cope with weather systems. It is interesting that even in the midst of this storm's fury, I have heard the birds chattering all morning. Perhaps they too are anxious for Spring.
   That also brings me to the deer our community has adopted. Last year I posted photos and an article on 4 fawns who had become orphaned, the doe was obviously thin and not in good health and seemed to have disappeared. The deer here on the island are a bit smaller and less hardy, yet the population seems to thrive in our woods along the shore.
   Anyway it has been a pleasure watching them grow and mature. There is a small fenced area where the deer can come and not venture into the road to be hit by cars, and members of the community have brought all kinds of fruit and food for the deer. Now generally it is a rule not to feed wildlife, but for the first winter it seemed important. As time passed we saw the fawns less and less, and now I have only seen two, which makes me hope and believe they have accustomed to being wild and foraging on their own now.
   But there was one day, in mid winter, when we had one of our recent storms of about 6 inches of snow, when it was a very hard day and feeling quite discouraged in general, when driving past the spot where the deer are usually seen, I saw the bigger fawn nick named Little Fawn actually frolicking and leaping and playing in the snow, by himself, and it was such a joy to see. I only wish I had the opportunity to capture it on film to share with everyone.
   And so on this rainy, icy, windy, stormy day I bid you all farewell for now until we meet again.
   And remember, Spring is on the way! All the concentrated darkness in the world cannot put out the light of a single candle.

Best regards,
Maery

Winter Dawn from my living room window

Return of the Sun

   Winter came early here in the Northeast U.S. We rarely ever get snow here in southern new York before Christmas. When we were growing up, my brothers and i used to pray for snow so we could have a White Christmas and go sleigh riding.

   So today, December 17th, we had our first snowfall. At 6 am there was already an inch, but then it continued until it was 4 or 5 inches. Then came freezing rain, promising to make the roads even more slippery. Followed by rain. So by tonight it will be an icy mess.

   Although it felt like a dark and dreary day, cold and rainy, I knew that as of December 15th, our sunsets here would be a minute later, so that by the end of January it will be light at 5 pm after work. About a week ago sunset was at the same time each day, instead of retreating even early.

   We still have the Winter Solstice on December 21st and that will be when day and night will be of equal length.

   And last year I wrote a lot about the effects that light has on us - how all the darkness so early in the day can make us feel tired, and some people depressed.

   But then I thought about light in terms of color. What can be more beautiful than light when it hits stained glass so that the color in the glass seems to radiate. Is color itself a form of light? Is light a form of color? Doesn't light break down into the colors of the spectrum? At least what we can see with our vision.

   So, if we are craving or  missing light, maybe the use of color in our lives can help compensate for that.

   Surround yourself with your favorite colors. The reds and yellows are warm, invigorating, the blues are cool and calming.

   What started  me down this particular path was looking at the sky and clouds. I was caught by the fact that some of the clouds in the sky were pink. I wondered why pink?

  The reason for colors in the clouds and sky is because light becomes scattered. I never thought about light in these terms before. So light are color are everywhere - we just have to see it with our eyes and conscious of our surroundings.

   Every sunset and sunrise are different colors every day. No two are ever alike, which to me is amazing. Imagine how boring ti would be if everything was the same every day.

   So the blue color of the sky is a direct result of what is called "Rayleigh" scattering which redirects the higher frequency (blue) sunlight back into the field of view. Blue light is scattered more easily than red, so the Sun can take on a reddish color when seen through a thick atmosphere like sunrise or sunset.

   As for clouds, when there is a greenish hue in a cloud, it happens when sunlight is scattered by ice. A cumulonimbus cloud (a dense towering vertical cloud) that emits green is evidence of a severe thunderstorm which can produce heavy rain, hail, high winds, and possibly tornadoes. Usually when I see green clouds I know to take cover or head home. The green is usually dark and heavy. the last green clouds I encountered was indeed a coming storm, complete with large hail stones! During Hurricane Andrew in the 90's, I heard from a friend about a greenish color. That was certainly a powerful hurricane, the beginning of a long line of severe hurricanes to pass through the southern United States.

   Yellow colored clouds are usually due to pollutants in the air, caused possibly by forest fires, or nitrogen dioxide in areas of countries with high pollution from industry.

    Of course the most common colors are red, orange or pink clouds which are visible mostly at sunrise and sunset by scattering of light from the Sun.

   Ever notice how the Sun gets bright red like a fiery ball when it is about to disappear below the horizon? That is because the angle between the Sun and horizon changes. If the angle is less than 10 per cent - such as just before sunrise or sunset - red is the most predominant color due to refraction so that any colors other than red cannot be seen.

    And lastly why are clouds white? Within the clouds tiny particles of water are "densely packed." Sunlight, our beautiful life giving sunlight cannot penetrate far into the cloud before it is reflected out, and the result of the reflected light is white.

   So when you can, try to observe sky and or clouds on a regular basis. You will be amazed at the ever changing colors, shapes, thickness, texture that you will see, like an ever changing kaleidoscope. It will connect you to nature instead of the bustle of daily work life, and so you will be, even if in small, living a more natural life. And feel the better for it.

   Enjoy and watch the skies. Thank you to what keeps on making the clouds.

Maery

sources: Wikipedia