Yesterday, before the predicted snow storm, I took a walk. It was a very quiet walk as I was the only one at the park when I started.

However, first, let’s start this post how I’ve decided to start all the Winter Wednesday posts with the weather.

The Weather

Well, they (the collective weather people/television meteorologists) were right. Kansas City did only get the far north edge of the storm. It started raining around 9 last night and sometime in the overnight changed to snow. We woke up to snow and a snow day off school for J. However, the roads seem to have already improved and it’s 33 degrees as G heads off to the college campus. Snow is already blowing/dripping/melting from the trees.

My Walk Before The Storm

I debated if I wanted to go for quite a bit yesterday but finally around 3 in the afternoon, I just went ahead and got in the car. Many thanks to G for this who pushed me a bit saying if you don’t go, you know you’re going to regret it.

Winter buds on small trees always give a bit of hope.

This land area was full of water last time. I think the barrenness is related to work they are doing by the newly added playground area. The overnight snow should melt and fill it again, I hope.

I still found spots of partially frozen water.

And though the photo is a bit blurry, there were also occasionally welcome pops of color among the browns of the grasses and grays of the day. 

Gray skies and chilly air

I felt the oncoming storm on the chill in the air. Saw the gray skies and very few birds.

Some of the trees looked to be dancing though the stillness that precedes most storms also sat upon the air.

The trees kept me company on my quiet, lonely walk.

I always take time to stop and check out the “all you need is love” tree. The silver bobble looks heart shape from a distance. 

I Actually Enjoy Walking Alone

While it’s always nice to have a friend to walk with you, I love to go at my own pace. Stop and examine the trees. Listen to the nature around me. Things that get lost in the natural conversation of walking with a partner. As I started to walk by the small pond pictured above, I heard a sound I’d not heard before at this particular park.

Immediately, I turned and walked back to peer into the forested area.

However, my barred owl was too deep in the wooded area to spot. Here is a youtube video (not mine, I just listened from the path) to let you share in the sounds I heard:

Rounding The Corner

As rounded the corner of the path, far from the hoot owl I couldn’t see, I did stumble upon one industrious woodpecker in a small grove of young trees.

The chill in the air continued to grow and my hands were getting colder despite my gloves. So I made one last stop to check for any more brave little birds:

With none to be found, I ended my lonely walk and returned to my car now joined by another in the parking lot. Hopefully, that person enjoyed their quiet lonely walk as much as I enjoyed mine.

And this morning, the trees here at home were all dressed in white:

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day 25/365

Just realized it’s Wednesday. Not much winter stuff to report today. I let G take my car to work so I’m having a bit of an at-home day.

Today’s Winter Weather

Not so wintry anymore. It’s windy out as I can hear it (nothing like the crazy gusts from “the storm”) but it’s also 52 and sunny. Snow is melting fast.

Cabin Fever and the Cat

I think the cat has cabin fever after all the super cold days. She meows loudly at anyone who will listen but doesn’t know what she wants. Outside? Nope. Love? Nope. Food? Nope.

At least it’s warm enough for her to go outside today and tomorrow but I have a feeling she’s missing her sleeping bench. It’s not going to be dry anytime soon.

And like a little kid, she’s been misbehaving a bit as well. Why play with your brand new Christmas toys when there’s mischief to be found?

She’s getting on the kitchen counters. We can hear her…she’s not a sneaky as she thinks. Chewing on the plants. UGH, something she never did in the past. And are the plants good for her? Of course not! She did get some cat grass for Christmas so I guess I better get on potting the seeds and setting them in the window. Need to water plants anyway.

I’m feeling a bit restless myself, want to go outside but it’s gone from billions below zero to probably mud. Still plan to grab my boots and go when G gets home, I think. It will be good for me.

Clearing Out Stuff

I’ve started clearing out stuff as I take down Christmas and put things back. It’s kind of nice as i’ve been doing it slowly. Usually, my husband starts helping and it stresses me. I don’t like to feel rushed. This year (maybe he’s finally figured it out?) I’ve been going at my own pace and just doing bits each day. And I’m making an Advent tub so that next year I can unpack it first. All the Advent items and things I like to put out in first in one place. What a concept!

Winter is a good time to take stock of the things I truly love or do not. One of my goals/list items for 2023 is to have things I only truly love in this home. I’m hoping this book gives me a bit of inspiration.

A nice thing about winter is the temptation to go outside and do something else is not as great as in the other seasons. I’m slightly less distracted, by outdoor things anyway.

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Have you started packing away your holiday stuff yet? Are you like me and like to go slow with it or more like my husband who just wants it done and done now?

Happy First Day of Winter!

Going to be a short post today. I agreed to work this afternoon. What was I thinking? Still have a mile long to-do list over here. And of course, this is coming:

The current weather for the first day of Winter:

30 degrees with a feels like of 21 degrees (Fahrenheit). My phone shows a little sunshine symbol but I don’t where it’s looking. And it also says “Few Snow Showers.” Interesting. While I was out and about, it was cloudy with no snow. Chilly but not super cold yet.

We do have a Winter Storm warning starting at midnight tonight until midnight tomorrow night. Then, a Wind Chill warning from noon tomorrow until noon on Saturday.  Supposedly, snow, wind gusts of 45 mph, and wind chills as low as 30 below zero. This warning spans “portions of east central and northeast Kansas and central and west central Missouri.” So who knows what we’ll actually get here in KC.

Saw on a local radio station page and it’s scary accurate for our area:

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So how am I spending the first “official” Winter Wednesday?

Went to get my haircut this morning, did a little more Christmas shopping and some non-Christmas shopping. Putting fresh, clean flannel sheets on our beds. It’s been too hot for them before now. Need to run one more errand on the way to work. Should do more Christmas shopping after work but might just come home, drink hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie instead.

One thing I’ve been trying to find is little projects of the indoor variety to keep me busy during this winter. We all know I’m not crafty in the least. They gave us these little mosaic art snowmen at the work Christmas event last week. I found it really soothing and relaxing. Might have to find some more of these.

Finished product (all dots on the cardboard now, just need to add string for hanging it):

How are you spending the first day of Winter?

P.S.

My Farmer’s Almanac daily email kindly let me know that there are now only 88 days til Spring!

Also, a Blogmas catch up post coming soon, sure I’ll have time during the “storm of the century!” tomorrow.

Time for another Winter Wednesday post! Jump back to here for more information on my Winter Wednesday posts. 

While I was hoping to maybe have some fun photos of Christmas lights from Mom’s Night Out last week, I don’t. I didn’t go as I was around so much sickness and we planned to carpool. Didn’t want to risk getting everyone sick. Now, that I’ve been more or less fine the whole time, I’m really sad to have missed out. Still, I stand by my decision.

The Weather Report

Thought it might be fun to start these posts by including the current weather. After it rained all day yesterday (and some of last night), this morning is sunny and 33 degrees. The temperature is on the way down (supposedly). Yesterday we hit the 50’s amid all the pouring rain. My outdoor boots are covered in mud just from walking to the bird feeders. SIGH.

Needing the Sunshine

It’s been cloudy or I’ve been inside the past few days and I can tell. My mood is not pleasant this morning. Not great sleep the past few nights didn’t help either. Of course, this is a busy day with J’s appt and my work later.  Hoping the sun holds and we at least get to go outside with the kids at work for a few minutes this afternoon.

Winter, The Weather, and Moods

Yesterday’s rainy day got me thinking. Do you think that people who live where it snows more might enjoy winter more?  I mean snow is prettier than rain and no mud (until it all melts and turns to slush, worse than mud really).

Those of us who live where Decembers aren’t quite as cold and snowy, don’t really always have the gear to enjoy the weather when it happens. Or if we do have it, it’s been so long since it’s been needed we have no idea where it is. Maybe just us?

It seems like here in the KC area we are stuck somewhere between Mele Kalikimaka and a true winter wonderland.

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”  Alfred Wainwright 

One of my goals for enjoying winter this year is to try and get outside as much as I can. So, I’ll be needing to see about what suitable clothing I need. Of course, working at the preschool I do feel like I have a bit of a head start. It doesn’t take many playground visits in the winter before investing in a decent coat and gloves.

Maybe I should have tried to go for a walk out in the rain with an umbrella yesterday (didn’t). Wonder if my mood would have been better this morning.

Cozy Day Attempt was Stressful?

I tried to just enjoy a cozy day at home yesterday. However, I found it stressful? Started out okay with the roast in the crockpot (only decent pic from yesterday). Maybe it’s because I didn’t get the house cleaned enough before my husband came home for lunch (there went my clear table!) or lunch finished and then, suddenly dinnertime!

Phone call that should’ve been a pleasant catch up ending up being a bit of a pressured sales pitch (that line between wanting to support a friend and feeling annoyed by the sales pitch).

Christmas deadline pressures, you know the it’s 11 days and I’m nowhere near ready thoughts.

Well, I guess I have a whole season to try again with the cozy thing.

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Stopping here as it’s time to get J to his appointment and then myself to work. What do you think, do  people who live where the winter weather is more pronounced (cold and snowy) like the winter better than those of us who often get rainy, muddy Decembers?

What’s a winter Wednesday? Well, each Wednesday I’m going try to find something to enjoy about the season.

The above is an old photo from 2019. Honestly, we usually don’t get much snow around here until mid-January/February. That said, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a white Christmas for our area. And we’ve had blizzard weather over Christmas back in 2009.

I wonder if I’d enjoy winter more if we got more snow? Not sure of the answer.

Why Winter Wednesdays?

Well, winter is very much not my favorite. And I tend to get pretty down as many of the days tend to lack the sunlight that I very much prefer. So, in an effort to try and get ahead of the winter blues, I’m planning to post every Wednesday. Some posts will likely be a bit longer than this one. Or they might be a simple wordless Wednesday style.

I’m also hoping to share photos of things I find that I do enjoy about winter. And plan to work on spending more time outside despite the weather. They’ll probably be focused a bit more on the previous Wednesday.

Basically, this series might be all over the place as I try to find my way to liking winter a bit more.

That Brings Us to Tomorrow

The plan for tomorrow is to get together with friends and go through a Christmas light display. Of course, I’m also working 7a.m. to 3:30 in a class with lots of sick kids (Just trying to hang on to my health tightly around here. Covered for yet another sick teacher this afternoon.) so we’ll see how I feel after that.

On that note, I’m going to stop my introductory Winter Wednesday post here with a question. What things do you do to enjoy the winter season?