Rita - the earth needs time to rest, to gather itself, and to die off. If there was no winter, the earth would deplete itself of nutrients within a few years. Winter balances the heat & the franticness of the youth of the planet in both flora & fauna so that only the strong survive. I may not care too much for winter, but I'm glad that I have it. The promise of spring and the glory of the rebirth of the planet's life, to me, outweighs the cold & bleakness of the most miserable winters. And, with living truly upstate on the mouth of the St. Lawrence river where it starts on Lake Ontario, where winter lasts & lasts, where it snows for a month solid everyday 8-24", where the sun doesn't rise until after 9am and is under the horizon by 4:10pm.. The knowledge that, in a few months time the air will be perfumed with wild lilacs 10-15' tall, that meadows everywhere are covered from tip to tip with a veritable blanket of flowers so chaotic in color you'd go crazy trying to find a pattern, watching wild tiger lilies nodding in slow tributaries on the waters way to the Black River. And, of course, not to mention the tear-inducing specticle of that most glorious time of year: autumn: where a drive to the grocery store can pass for a Hallmark calendar.
None of this would be possible without winter & cold. The wonders that Mother Nature have bestowed upon us should not be taken for granted, no matter how much it conveniences us. We mere humans just have to find the good in it all, whether we like it or not.
Oh, and Zuzu - I think your comment is in the December post.. I do remember reading that your hours got cut.
