Shades of Mediocrity

The change of seasons

Over the last couple of weeks we've been enjoying a gorgeous stretch of fall weather: warm, breezy days with clear sky and air, minus all the haze of summer, and perfectly cool and crisp nights. But tonight will be the last night we sleep with the windows open until probably next April. Change is coming, and soon: starting Wednesday, temperatures will plunge, with daytime highs in the upper 40s expected Thursday and Friday.

As much as I have enjoyed this extended period of sun and mild temperatures, I feel ready for the arrival of colder weather. I can sense my habitual early fall period of hyperactivity gradually subsiding, to be replaced with the lethargy and melancholy of winter. The shorter days have something to do with it, too; longer periods of darkness always reduce my energy level.

This isn't entirely a bad thing. Most of the time, it just means that what I really want to do, instead of anything active, is hole up with a nice thick blanket, a cat or two, and a good book or movie. Pleasant enough, at least until I've fallen behind with all my household chores and all of the projects I planned to do. I usually have a burst of activity around the holidays, but aside from that, the months fly by without my notice until spring.

This is pretty dull stuff, I know, but it's such a mystery and a wonder to me how connected my mental and physical states of being are to the seasons -- even though (like all of us lucky enough to have such a high standard of living) nature's extremes don't seriously impact my comfort and safety. Maybe this is why I'm so obsessed with the weather?