First Snow

Many in Denver believe Fall is over. Three days ago the sun was out and daytime highs were in the sixties or seventies. The trees still had their leaves, some of which were green and others tinged bright colors by the waning light and chilly nights. That ended, one might say, this morning. The temperature is 17 F and a dusting of snow clings to grass and rooftops. It is snowing as I write and is supposed to keep up until noon. The high wont get warmer than 32 forcing people to either stay inside and enjoy it, put themselves to some domestic pleasures or grit and bear the wind and snow outside. Those brave people are martyrs and the most bitter souls in the city. They are the Winter naysayers and think not of Nature as whimsical and fun, but as a god whose sole objective is to make their lives better. They say Fall is dead.

Denver is one of Americas "skinniest" cities and they boast of their "320 days of sunshine" a year. Though the former is not an exaggeration, the latter surely is. Nonetheless, people live here because being outside is cherished and utilized to its fullest. They don't live here to be forced to endure inclement weather. So when Nature ushers in an "early" snowfall, or a random cloud in June that sprinkles the barren desert floor with needed rain, the people send up a wail of mourning and strident complaints. "I was going to go jogging today. But I can't do that in the rain!" As the person says this the sun is actually shining through many fractures in over head clouds and a few drops splat on the ground around you. But what I can't seem to get over is how people interact with things beyond their control. And, if say Nature did take requests, the world would be a parched dirt clod with a myriad of nicely paved jogging trails -at least for the majority of suburban America.

Thankfully, Nature doesn't give a damn about what people want or think -including me. If it were up to me there would be a global freezing and everyone would need to dig tunnels from their front doors through snow, get on their sleigh and go where they needed. I'd be a lonely man. Instead I try to take this all worth a grain of salt. Roll with it. Endure heat waves and no rain, which only make a rainy day and snow flurries that much more enjoyable.

Fall is not over. The naysayers lack foresight. If they had it they would understand that tomorrow is forecasting clear skies and "above average" temperatures. All next week is in the seventies again. The trees will bask in the remaining days of Autumn and the snow will most likely not return until sometime in November. But, like C.S. Lewis commented on humanities need to bitch and moan, "we'd rather have the itch than not be able to scratch." Let them itch. I'm going to enjoy my coffee and stare into a dynamic sheet of white.