baby its cold outside
Last weekend was beautiful - warm, sunny, unusually pleasant for the time of year. Last night when I went to bed, I noted the wind. It had a bite to it that was new for this September. And then, I headed out into the darkness at 6:20 this morning to go to work and geez louize! It was cold!
I have always loved fall - sunshine without mosquitos, warm but not too hot & sweaty, feeling invigorated by the changing colors and light.... but today I'm a bit put out. Here's the thing, it's windy outside. I don't like windy. In fact, one of the reasons I have liked Fairbanks is its traditional lack of wind. I grew up in Kenai, where the wind blew constantly like a whispering, heckling little brother. It was always there and I was constantly on my toes prepared for a straight out frontal attack, but usually the wind took more pleasure in the slow, steady torture of continuous breeze. Chinese water torture has nothing on Kenai wind.
When I taught in Unalakleet I knew I was in trouble when I found out that Unalakleet acutally means "where the East wind blows." And boy did it blow. The streets were bare of snow all winter, but houses in the path of the current got covered in drifts to the extent of having to dig out doors, and sometimes you even walked down from snow level to get to the door. One night, I was asleep in my 3rd floor studio apartment when I woke up with an uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. The unease in the apartment was palpable, not just my own; the air itself seemed unsure. I went to peer out the big windows and realized what it was. They weren't rattling. In fact, the wind wasn't blowing at all. It was still outside, silent in my apartment, and I thought the world must be coming to an end.
Folks often ask me why I live in Fairbanks, and how can I stand the weather. The reality is I love Fairbanks weather. Fairbanks weather is usually predictable. When planning our adventures, it's usually a safe bet to figure it'll be cold sometime around the beginning of October and stay that way into March. Not so in Kenai where I grew up. Thanksgiving could be rainy and gray, minus 10 degrees and windy, or 15 degrees with sunshine and fluffy snow. Lately however, even Fairbanks is having anomalies in it's predictable patterns. This fall has been an example, as was the cool and rainy part of the summer.
So tonight, on September 22 I came home, put on my flannel pj's and sheepskin slippers, shut the windows in the kitchen that I've been leaving open for fresh air, and had a cup of soup for dinner. I'm not dreading the impending winter; I love waking up each morning to see if the snow has finally won the battle and made it here to change our world once again. Long cold snaps in December are welcome excuses to drink Russian Tea and snuggle my kids and dogs. February snow storms mean we get to invite friends over to our ultimate sledding hill, where the kids get worn out and the parents can channel their inner daredevil on the Flexible Flyer. Bring it on, winter, bring it on!
But as for this wind....you've made your point. Thanks for sharing.
I have always loved fall - sunshine without mosquitos, warm but not too hot & sweaty, feeling invigorated by the changing colors and light.... but today I'm a bit put out. Here's the thing, it's windy outside. I don't like windy. In fact, one of the reasons I have liked Fairbanks is its traditional lack of wind. I grew up in Kenai, where the wind blew constantly like a whispering, heckling little brother. It was always there and I was constantly on my toes prepared for a straight out frontal attack, but usually the wind took more pleasure in the slow, steady torture of continuous breeze. Chinese water torture has nothing on Kenai wind.
When I taught in Unalakleet I knew I was in trouble when I found out that Unalakleet acutally means "where the East wind blows." And boy did it blow. The streets were bare of snow all winter, but houses in the path of the current got covered in drifts to the extent of having to dig out doors, and sometimes you even walked down from snow level to get to the door. One night, I was asleep in my 3rd floor studio apartment when I woke up with an uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. The unease in the apartment was palpable, not just my own; the air itself seemed unsure. I went to peer out the big windows and realized what it was. They weren't rattling. In fact, the wind wasn't blowing at all. It was still outside, silent in my apartment, and I thought the world must be coming to an end.
Folks often ask me why I live in Fairbanks, and how can I stand the weather. The reality is I love Fairbanks weather. Fairbanks weather is usually predictable. When planning our adventures, it's usually a safe bet to figure it'll be cold sometime around the beginning of October and stay that way into March. Not so in Kenai where I grew up. Thanksgiving could be rainy and gray, minus 10 degrees and windy, or 15 degrees with sunshine and fluffy snow. Lately however, even Fairbanks is having anomalies in it's predictable patterns. This fall has been an example, as was the cool and rainy part of the summer.
But as for this wind....you've made your point. Thanks for sharing.
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