No Winter Nostalgia 03/04/10

Yesterday I was feeling nostalgic for winter. The sun – it shined! The sky – it blued! The temperature – it climbed! Suddenly I became anxious for the missed opportunities as winter slipped away. I should have taken more icy pictures and, I don’t know, made snow angels and stuff. After work I decided to take the Lakefront Trail for the first time in a couple of weeks to document and appreciate the fading winter.

Once I got there, however, any nostalgia I felt for a fading winter vanished. Surprise – winter was still going strong, complete with deep snow on the beach and fierce freezing wind. (Meeting fellow bike commuter and reader Vince by chance was fun – hi Vince!)

My optimistic outfit of only a cardigan and tights with my dress meant that I felt pretty much like this abandoned apple. Brrrr.

By the time I arrived home, I was cursing winter, and all was right with the world. Nostalgia for Chicago winter is just not natural.

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  • Carolyn I.

    We seem to have sent all the snow and cold to you. It’s been an incredible winter here, very mild..no snow on road (mostly have been very bare and safe to ride without studs) for what seems forever and snow on side is melting fast! 8 Celcius today..and hardly below 0 these days. :)

    Carolyn:-)

  • http://www.cynthiafriesehassanein.typepad.com/ Cynthia

    pretty pictures:) But, I so know what you are saying:) It can be so beautiful, until you have to brave the cold for too long. LOL. Adore the picture of the bike by the lake:) gorgeous.

  • http://mikespokes.blogspot.com Mike

    This brings back horrid memories of the many “false springs” I experienced as a far north suburban kid. You’d get a few sunny warm days in February and conclude that Spring finally had sprung.

    A week later, you’d be shoveling snow again. I remember years where this torture repeated itself through Easter.

    The only time of year I hated the weather was this not-winter time… what I always imagined Vonnegut had in mind when he described the added season of “unlocking.”

    The snow gets muddy and stained with car exhaust… evidence of what the dogs have been up to all winter begins to appear in melted patches… ugh.

    And then some insensitive lout who moved away after college emails you photos of magnolia blossoms and backyard barbecues.

  • http://cyclingisgoodforyou.blogspot.com anna

    So you get there too :) . Slowly. Well, Vienna is back to sub-zero temperatures. But at least the sun is shining :) .

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    It’s too early for winter nostalgia!

    The apple in the snow looks beautiful.

  • Vince

    Hey, thanks for the shout out. It was fun meeting you as well, since you were the one to inspire me to leave my normal old Lincoln Avenue route to enjoy the lakefront path. Great photos, as usual. I wanted to stick around and ask about your camera but that wind was not very conducive to a casual chat! Maybe next time….

    I do have to say, though, having the bike lanes and paths to ourselves this time of year helps make up for some of the challenges and dreariness.

  • http://suburbanbikemama.blogspot.com/ Vee

    I was standing at the bus stop looking at the “sledding Hill” with no snow on it. It was temperate and I thought- oh- no more sledding this season. I thought we never got to ski either this year like we said we would.

    I was slightly sad but then it’s been wintery mixing here all week with either cold rain or snow flakes coming down. I am not going to miss winter b/c it will be back next year without fail. I’m so ready for spring which has not yet sprung, but it’s coming. I can feel it. In fact- the sun has come out just now to melt off the tiny layer of snow we got overnight.

    yay march- let’s go out like a lamb!

  • http://iciclebicycle@blogspot.com spiderleggreen

    Don’t say bye to winter, yet. We’ve had a nice run of sunny weather, but the snow will drop again, soon.

  • http://imaginarybicycle.wordpress.com/ Emma J

    Just makes me shiver to look at these pictures!

  • Man

    The “optimistic outfit of only …tights with my dress meant that I felt pretty much like this abandoned apple. Brrrr.”

    That brings up a question I have been meaning to ask. I ride in in pants and a jacket and I am still cold (and it doesn’t even snow where I live); yet I see pictures of you and other girls in tights and dresses in SNOW and just think “You look great! but aren’t you cold?” Do tights really keep you that warm usually?