Even the air smells different

Two weeks ago we had our annual January thaw, lasted two days and the temps got up to 40 or thereabouts. At the time I thought, even the air smells different, even though there is more snow out there than anyone needs. My mother-in-law, a woman without a vestige of whimsy in her body, agreed.

And this morning, after a lovely all night rain, the air still, indeed, has a different cast to it. Not sure what causes it, but this time of year it happens, late or soon, and my spirits start to stir, to move about a bit more. The sap begins to rise in the trees, and I think in humans as well.



Winter depression is a difficult time, partly because you KNOW it's gonna happen again, and partly because all of the sage advice about getting more exercise and sitting in the sunlight really don't obtain--unless you consider, wood stoves, roof shoveling, and stair climbing less worthy of the name Exercise...perhaps if one paid for the use of a stair machine, and did strength training lifting expensive weights in a gym, that would qualify as exercise. with a capital $.



But the sun is higher and the days are definitely getting longer. In a month, or maybe a bit more...