Thankful Thursday: The Goodness Of Winter

Happy Winter Solstice! Typically it falls on the 21st, but this year it's on the 22nd, which works out well for Thankful Thursday. I admit that winter is my least-favorite season. There are plenty of things I don't like about it, but let's talk about the nice things.

[The pictures in this post are all old photos from winters past. I thought it would be fun to dig out some pre-blog stuff.]



I could be wrong on the location of this photo. We were on a drive, so maybe we weren't quite in Maine yet. R?






1. Snow. It's rare enough here that it's an exciting treat when it snows (challenges aside). Getting a snow day is awesome, but even just having a chance to take snowy pictures is something I look forward to.




2. Being cozy. People often say it's easier to warm up than cool down. That's especially true in the land of no air conditioning, and I love being able to wear sweats and cover up in blankets while I sleep.

3. Drinks stay cold in the car. It's a little thing, but it's one of those perks I always appreciate. I tend to keep bottled water in my trunk, and it's so nice that they are ready to drink! Or if I forget a beverage in my cup holder, it'll stay nice and icy cold for hours while I'm at work or in the store.



4. Fog. I enjoy this mostly from a photography standpoint, like many things. It gives the landscape some mystery, adds dewdrops to spider webs, ups the chances of streams of light coming through the trees, and it makes everything a little quieter.

5. More ducks on the lake. In the summer I mostly see mallards and wood ducks out on the lake behind my place, but in the winter we have several other species that have migrated down. It's fun.



6. A better view of the lake. Without all of the leaves on the trees, I can better see the aforementioned ducks. Or ice.

7. The days get longer. I remember my dad once mentioning how the nice thing about the first day of winter is that the days get longer from there. It feels so dark so early, that this is very bueno news.



8. Holidays. Yes, I have complained about the holidays, but they certainly have their good aspects, too! Christmas can be magical, New Year's means new beginnings, and even Valentine's Day (heart fun!) falls in winter.

9. Using the oven. No need to worry about heating the house!



10. It makes me appreciate spring and summer even more. Does that count as a real reason? :)



I'm sorry to say I did not take this photo. I wish! My sister's friend actually took it after an ice storm. I hope it's okay I'm featuring it here. I came across it in my files and it's just too awesome not to show you. Also, it reminds me of one of my favorite poems, Birches by Robert Frost:

But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

(Please don't hate me for quoting poetry in my blog! I know that's a little sappy.)




Okay, tell me your favorite thing about winter, please!