Loose Ends: Ten things not to do to beat the winter blahs

MEEKER — A few in-between days of blue skies and warm weather make many of us long for spring. Conversations around town already reflect a certain winter weather weariness, which is alarming as Colorado’s heaviest snows are often in the spring. Complaints abound, such as, “We haven’t had so much snow in more than 20 years” and “These below zero mornings remind me of when winter was winter here.”
One common suggestion to those who battle the seasonal feeling of malaise has been to watch movies that feature the opposite of what one sees every day — warm, sunny spots where residents and visitors alike can go about relatively unclothed while recreating on sandy beaches. Actually, watching lots of movies featuring blizzards and blowing snow can have a more palliative affect, as it makes one be grateful for our sunny skies and melting snowdrifts. Letting the light in is another suggestion for boosting one’s spirits and combating Seasonal Affective Disorder. Opening the curtains won’t be enough, so one needs to take advantage of the mountain vistas that beckon. Rather than sitting in a chair reading in a room filled with light, one needs to go outside and bask in the sunlight for a little while each day. As for placing fresh flowers throughout the house to bring a little spring inside, this is dangerous for those of us who long for a shorter winter. It only reminds us that the fleeting season will not appear for another eight to ten weeks at a minimum.
A better suggestion to those unlucky souls among us who get the bane of the high country existence — cabin fever — two months ahead of everyone else is to put one of those colorful Colorado calendars in a prominent place at the beginning of January. It will not only offer a fresh look at the region’s scenic wonders, it will serve as a reminder of where one lives. No one needs to be deluded into thinking warm weather is right around the corner, when it is more likely a couple hundred miles away. Even with the threat of global warming, the likelihood of spring flowers peeking up anytime soon is more than far-fetched. After all, we have so many snowstorms, so much of winter left to enjoy.