That Time of Winter

 

It's that time of Winter, when windows are flung open for hours at a time, and fresh air fills every room.  It's that time of Winter, when daylight lasts just a little bit longer, and the sun sets just a little bit later.  It's that time of Winter, when Spring flowers burst from florist tubs on city sidewalks.  It's that time of Winter, when droplets of thawing icicles sparkle in the sunlight.

It's that time of Winter, when the morning sun disappears behind a grey curtain, and only reappears for a final bow at the end of the day.  It's that time of Winter, when the iphone weather app shows two sun icons in a week of clouds and snowflakes - and everyone rejoices in anticipation of those two days of sunshine! 

  

It's that time of Winter, when Spring is so near, yet so far.  It's that time of Winter, when we can almost reach out and touch the new season...almost!

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

We Don't Take Light Lightly!

Yesterday's blue skies, sunshine and fresh snow, made for a perfect Winter day in Toronto.  The clarity of light, and purity of the cold air were refreshing and restorative, giving us an energy boost to take into today's dull, grey and snowy day.  We briefly made peace with Winter...and Winter made a promise.  It won't be here much longer!  

Spring has already made an early appearance on Vancouver Island, where daffodils are blooming in sunny gardens!  I've seen the amazing photographic evidence!  

Here, in snow-covered Toronto, florists import Spring flowers to fill our homes and workspaces with colour.  Vibrant, sunny yellow forsythia, yellow-tipped coral parrot tulips, orange tulips with stripes of green, and fluffy pussywillows liven up a room, and brighten our spirits.  A happy bouquet of Spring flowers on your desk is welcomed by co-workers and clients!

Light and colour help us survive the dull, grey days and long, dark nights of Winter.  Seriously.  Survival is not an exaggeration.  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a recognized mental health disorder, related to depression.  We don't take light lightly!  

Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones.  Sunlight passes through the retinas of our eyes, sending a cue to the brain, to release serotonin.  Serotonin is a hormone which lifts our mood, and helps us stay calm and focused.  Melatonin is a hormone which makes us sleepy.  At night, when it gets dark, serotonin is converted to melatonin.  It gets dark early in Winter.  Not enough sunshine, and too much darkness can bring on moodiness, irritation, and fatigue.

Phototherapy, or light box therapy each morning, has proven to help alleviate the symptoms of SAD.  Sitting near a special light box in the morning, sends a signal to the brain to stop producing melatonin, and increase the body's serotonin levels.   

It is important to protect our eyes from harsh sunlight bouncing off snow, however, removing sunglasses for just ten to fifteen minutes, will give the retinas enough time to send a signal to the brain to release serotonin.  Let the light in!

No animals were harmed in the making of this blogpost, however, the forsythia is a goner!  It did not survive the freezing temperatures, and its delicate yellow petals did not appreciate posing against the snow.  The more resilient tulips and pussywillows are now enjoying a little apres ski relaxation. 

  

Quiet Observation

Our ancestors lived in quiet observation of the world around them.  Letters to family in Europe describe the extremes of Canada's Winters and Summers, the exotic animals and plant life.  My Grandfather, who was born before the turn of the Century before this one, kept a weather diary, with his daily entries of rainfall, snowfall, bird sightings, planting and harvesting.

People have been observing nature for as long as we've been on the planet.  In the 1800's it became trendy!  Naturalists as well as ordinary men and women observed their world, and described it in words and illustrations.  Those who could afford travel, or who received sponsorship from a prestigious society, would travel to the far corners of the earth, and amass collections of rare plants, butterflies or seashells.  Today, their detailed drawings and notations are reproduced on chic home decor items. 

Categorizing specimens into family groups, and subgroups begins with observation.  In describing a flower, one considers whether it is part of a tree or shrub, whether it grows from a seed, or a bulb. The shape of the blossom, whether they grow on a single stem, or in a cluster, and whether they grow upright, or cascade downwards, are all important in distinguishing one flower from another.  Petals have different shapes, compositions, and textures.  Colour and pattern are very important distinguishing features.  The size and shape of the leaves, and whether the leaves are fine, or waxy, long or broad, are also important in classifying a flower.

Take a quiet moment to observe these images of Rabbit's Foot Pussywillow branches intertwined with a mixed bouquet of tulips...  

 

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Pussywillows, Cattails and Other Tales

      Treasuring, remembering the promises of Spring   

Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds, and roses.

- Gordon Lightfoot, Lyrics and Music

Pussywillows, Cat-Tails (1968)

Folksinger and songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot grew up in Orillia, Ontario, one of many small towns in Canada's Muskoka region that swell with Summer tourists each year.  Lightfoot, who now lives in Canada's largest city - Toronto - would have spent his youth walking along country paths near lakes and ponds where the Pussywillows and Cattails (Bulrushes) grow.

Lightfoot is a legend in Canadian singing and songwriting, with:  If You Could Read My Mind, Did She Mention My Name?, Sundown, Carefree Highway, (That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me, Black Day in July, and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, to name only a few of his recordings. 

Orillia is also home to the Mariposa Folk Festival, which was founded in 1961.  Over the years, Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Buffy St Marie, Richie Havens, Donovan, Neil Young, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee, Barenaked Ladies, Loreena Mckennit, and Serena Ryder have all played Mariposa.  

Like the Summer thunderstorms which blow across Muskoka, the Mariposa Folk Festival had a few stormy years.  In 1963, after wild, drunken brawls in the quiet streets of Orillia, the town council banned the folk festival.  So, in '64 the Mariposa Folk Festival took off for the big city of Toronto, where Lightfoot performed, Early Morning Rain for the first time.  Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly, and like the butterfly, the festival has moved many times over the decades, and is finally back in Orillia.

On it's Mariposa Folk Festival website, there's a quote from performer Chick Roberts, who said in 1985, "The history of Mariposa is not of any one person, it's the history of an idea.  Changing hands over and over again, Mariposa becomes like a folk tale...the myth survives and continues to fire the blood".     

There's a Polish folk tale about how Pussywillows came to be.  Kittens were chasing butterflies near the riverbank, when they fell into the water, and began to drown.  The mother cat's cries for help were heard by the willow branches.  The branches arched over, dipping into the river, and the kittens clung to them as they were lifted safely to shore.  Every Spring afterwards, the little kittens would reappear on willow branches.

There are many varieties of Pussywillows, however, the two most common are the small, snowy white, pearl shaped Pussywillow, and larger, Rabbit's Foot Pussywillow in these photographs.  The iconic, big, fluffy Rabbit's Foot variety stands on it's own, or in a floral arrangement.

This being the Ash Wednesday, and the first day of Lent, it is worth noting that Pussywillows have a revered place in Catholic and Orthodox churches throughout the Northern Hemisphere.  Palms do not grow in Northern climates, so, on Palm Sunday, many churches in Europe give Pussywillow branches to their parishioners.  Pussywillows often appear in Easter floral bouquets,

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.