COLUMN: Tales from the Gravel Ridge – A season for reflection

Winter has arrived in our part of the world. Having said that, those of us living not far from the longitudinal centre of Canada know only too well that, along with what the calendar reveals to us, we are also experiencing what’s normal to all of us who have lived here for most of our lives. It is the season when cold and blustery weather may well make travel hazardous, and we are reminded once more why certain activities are normal for certain times of year.

All in all, I actually enjoy the changing seasons which all of us living in this part of the world fully expect. Sometimes the first snowfall of the year may come to us as a surprise, arriving earlier than anticipated. Regardless, whether early or late, snowy weather, along with bitterly cold days will arrive eventually. We know, of course, that a good blanket of snow is vital to prairie life as a protective layer for all manner of reasons, be it for hibernating wildlife as well as nurturing a range of prairie vegetation. In recent years we have become acutely aware of the possibility of drought if we don’t have an abundant snow cover in winter, along with an adequate amount of rainfall during the summer months.

We may sometimes grumble a little about the weather, but it is truly remarkable how well all nature, including the human race, are able to adapt to these changes that occur season by season, and year after year. For the most part, I think we are rather delighted when a fresh blanket of snow covers the ground where last summer’s luxuriance has dried up and crumbled. It’s almost as if fall cleanup has occurred, at least outdoors.

In the minds of children winter brings its own rewards, especially if heaps of snow arrive early in the season, hopefully with the best of textures. All that snowball producers and snow fort builders need for a good time, is plenty of snow. Such activities can be enjoyed in solitude, or in the company of friends or classmates. The benefits and possibilities of snow are enormous. For children and youth a little bit of snow shovelling is not necessarily an onerous task, especially if it’s a self-appointed activity. Even filling up a large boiler indoors with well-compacted snow shovelled into containers outdoors, was not burdensome. I well remember such activities when our family lived in Rosengard so many decades ago. Having this necessary potential water supply was important to facilitate laundering the family’s clothing and linen supplies. The water from our well was extremely hard and could impossibly produce laundry that was sparkling white to my mother’s expectations.

In Canada, as well as in various other parts of the world, December and on into January is the season when we celebrate Christmas. Those of us who live in Manitoba can expect to have plenty of snow during the season, decorating our landscape magnificently. Generally however, there is something of an awareness of the season being to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and church services normally seek to highlight the magnitude of that event. While it cannot be lost on any of us that the commercializing of the season overshadows its essence, there are however glimmers of something beyond the short-lived glitz and glamour so evident to all of us.

The words of Marcellus in Shakespeare’s Hamlet come to mind:

“Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes

Wherein our Savior’s birth is celebrated.

The bird of dawning singeth all night long;

And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad;

The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,

No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,

So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.”

To which Horatio replies:

“So have I heard and do in part believe it.

May we too reflect on the holiness of the season.”