April 6, 1997
St Kilda
The darkness and cold of winter have closed in around me this evening. I can hear the wind, and rain making my windows rattle, buffeting, desperate to get in. There is a certain indescribable feeling, a mood to winter evenings that sets them apart from any other. I never feel this way in summer or spring, the urge to put on slow, mournful classical music, get out my cross-stitch (untouched since last winter), wrap up in a blanket, drink hot chocolate, and feel serene. I associate winter with quiet times, folding washing, wet leather, and energy to do things left aside during the hot, languid days of summer. Like a snake shedding its skin, as the warm weather fades, I emerge somewhat reborn and fortified for the season to come.
I love books about winter, cold climates, snow and ice. Living in Melbourne, coping with bitterly cold winters is not really an issue. We don't get snow or ice. Some fog and a bit of frost is really as bad as it gets. But I find myself wishing it would be colder, more extreme. The cold we have is usually a brisk, chilly, still kind of cold. We don't suffer the freezing winds or icy roads. It rains a lot, for days and weeks on end sometimes. I enjoy rain, the smell and the sound. When I lived with my parents their house had a very steeply pitched roof, with hard, brittle, highly glazed Spanish terracotta tiles. Rain would make the most soothing, drumming sound on that roof, instead of sleeping, I would try and try to stay awake at night to listen to the sound.
I am looking forward to getting out my big coat, my scarves and my winter jumpers. Walking in the rain, and going to the beach during storms. We live only a minute or two from the beach, and on those days where a big storm or lightning is happening I like to go down there and watch. I feel as though I get a lot of thinking done during winter. As though the days are longer. I feel safe and sound, as though the mantle of wind and rain and the elements is around me to keep me from harm.
For My Listening Pleasure...
Bach
Piano Concerto in F Minor
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