Search My Infinite Universe

January 18, 2008

Ahh... minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of minus 17.
The kind of cold that begins to live as it's own entity. You bump into it when you open the door going out of your nice warm house, and it spanks your nose. You pull your hood down closer instinctively, quicken your pace, explore your pockets for a spot that should be warmer, but isn't.
Soon you are like a deep-sea diver, breathing some sort of air that's foreign to you and only retaining the ability to view what's in front of your narrow mask. You can't hear save for periodic abatement of the howling wind.
You know your time is short in this odd environment. Soon the river ice will be groaning. The trees may split with a pop. The sun seems so bright, but is so paradoxically cold. It makes no sense.
You house sweats thru it's windows and paints from the soul.
This is frost.
It can be a realist in one window, and impressionist in another.
A surrealist with a little help.

Embrace the cold.

4 comments:

buthidae said...

From one who has never experienced "cold", both the narrative and photos are scary.

mnainfochair@gmail.com said...

Funny how people around here say, "Well, I'd rather be too cold than too hot, any day!"
Do you say, "Well, I'd rather be too hot than too cold, any day!"
And if so, where is it "just right?" At the continental divide?

buthidae said...

"Just right" is about 90. At about 114, it is remarkably hot. But it's a "dry" heat. yeah, right. I still haven't dug long pants out of the box of clothes rarely needed yet this winter. Nothing wrong with shorts and T-shirts all year.

mnainfochair@gmail.com said...

Um, I think I forgot to mention, you suck.
I wear shorts and a t-shirt all year too. It's just that some months I wear about four layers over them.
Seriously tho, I LIKE the cold for the most part. There is 'something about it.' Interesting how a relatively small change in temperature can completely change your environment.
But, I'll be the first to admit I don't have to suffer thru the poor clothing, drafty shelters and bad transportation that my forebears did. I don't know how they managed it.