Hibernation

Imagine, if you will, a mountain of blankets, piled high upon a bed in a darkened room, their usual riot of purple, blue, and green strangely gray in the low light. The first few rays of sunlight peep tentatively through a gap in the curtains, wondering if they dare disturb the creature that lies reposing within this cocoon of warmth and dimness.

Awake! The alarm has sounded! Like a landscape shattered by an earthquake, the mound of blankets shudders and cracks open, disgorging from its depths a form that can only be described as Medusa-like. It is built tall and strong for what it is, and a few curls of snakey hair fall about its head and neck. It heaves itself upright and pads across the darkened room to shut off the alarm. “Gah!- is it already time to get up?” it mutters, then it catches a glimpse of the light through the curtains. “That is a sight I have not seen for a long time,” it says, and smiles.

No word of a lie, that was the awakening of yours truly this morning. It’s been cold and gray for the past couple of days- almost a week, now that I think about it. It snowed on Sunday and Monday, and rained yesterday. Apparently this is not normal for this part of the country, and other places had it worse. All I can say about that is, misery loves company.

Every little task was an effort for those few days. I’m very much a solar powered human, and when it’s unreasonable to be outside, I start feeling distinctly blah. I usually hibernate a bit during the winter, anyway; but the end of October is too early for that nonsense. I have too many things to do.

But today actually deigned to dawn, and though it’s not warm enough for me to want to be outside, I feel alive enough to do some indoor tasks. I managed to rescue the last of the basil from the garden, so I think I’ll make some pesto, just to remember the taste of summer. And the cat hair has been piling up lately, so that needs to be dealt with. And of course, there are always characters calling for my attention.

Time to tie up the mass of snakes that is my hair, pour out a cup of coffee, and get to it. There’s no time to hibernate; not yet, anyway.

11 thoughts on “Hibernation”

  1. I’m fine with the overcast days, so long as I can go out and do something (shovel, stroll). Long days trapped indoors . . . leads to an unhappy Alma. Sunlight is optional (very optional, especially sunlight reflecting off of snow!)

  2. Sunlight reflecting off snow is much, much better than no sunlight. I’ve not been diagnosed, but I’m quite sure I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I even like to sleep with a bright light on (I dream of beaches).

  3. I have heard that bright blue light improves wakefulness and mood by stimulating serotonin (I think) production.

    Paint a ceiling blue, and shine bright lights on it to simulate the sky.

  4. I understand the need for sunlight. There are ways to drag more into your house. Sadly, they all involve work or $$ given to contractors.

    I recommend (if you want to maximize what little sunlight you get) washing all your windows and vacuuming your screens, hanging large, trash-picked mirrors on walls opposite windows, and painting ceilings ceiling white (the only other acceptable choice is ultra-high gloss white enamel).

    You can also install solar tubes. These work great! They’re also holes in your roof and not a do-it-yourself job unless you’ve already built a house yourself. If you’ve never seen one in the wild, here’s some information about ours: https://www.greenwizards.com/node/949

  8. I have the SunTouchPus Light box, it is the only way that I survive North Dakota winters. It is dark, far too much of the time. I don’t know if that is because I was born in SoCal and raised in AZ, or it it’s just because I’m a red-head. But, light is imperative, especially in the winter.

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