It is that time of year. People are over winter, especially this one…
THE INFAMOUS COLD WEATHER SEASON of 2016/17 has dragged on as one nasty, cold, snow accumulating, flooding son of a gun. Everything is still cold and drab, brown, dead, and muddy, but there are those few days that every year since you were a kid you can remember the sun coming out, the wind dying down and BAM… instant summer cravings. THE CRUEL THING IS THAT ALMOST AS INSTANTLY, the weather decides it can’t quite let go of its wintery theme and the days are once again cold and gloomy. It’s hard not to become gloomy right along with them. I find that as a photographer and outdoorsy person, most of my productivity revolves around being outside, therefore my mood becomes one of false hope and bummed outness. This condition I believe is called “March Madness”… and no, not the basketball kind.
It is Not Always a Loss TO AVOID THESE FEELINGS March has thrown at me my entire life I have found ways to stay positive and productive. Here are Four of them that I hope you find helpful!
1) CATER TO YOUR PASSIONS: We all have work to do and it will have to get done
regardless of what the weather is doing so when the weathers nice, do something you enjoy! One way for me is my photography, I like to have my camera available and at the ready so that I can catch little moments of early spring while it’s nice out and then edit and look over them on the days it’s no fun to be outside.
2) WHEN IT IS NICE, SQUEEZE STUFF IN: Like I said earlier, there is always the work that needs to be done so while its nice, squeeze as much extra in as you can! Now’s the time to get those colts saddled and handled, or a team going before it gets to hot… maybe a nap on the lawn after lunch? Or a BBQ outside? Hiking, exploring, whatever it is… get some in now before you are forced to be miserably doing outside chores or confined to the indoors again! This has a double advantage for me because the more fun things that are fit in, the better some of my photography opportunities can be!
3) REMEMBER, THINGS CAN BE AMAZING IN ANY CONDITIONS:
If there is beauty in something, don’t pine for its perfection when the weather may be poor because it is still just as beautiful when conditions are not ideal. Early spring holds some specific joys that no other time of year can claim. For example, a newborn calf is just as awe inspiring to me on a cold day as a sunny day. An early spring flower is just as pretty in a rainstorm as it is in the sunshine. From the viewpoint of photography, some of my best photos are from the dramatic lighting of crappy days not harsh sunshine. Given these examples, you can see how simple joys can actually brighten your day even when its gloomy.
4) THE TABLES COULD BE TURNED: Do not forget… come mid August, it will be hot… and sticky…. and dry, oh and probably pretty dusty. Who knows, by then your daydreams may resemble cool days of March past and you will be wishing for the time when the earth was starting to green instead of brown and the water came freely from the sky not pumped from the ground. This alone is reason to acknowledge, if not enjoy, the aggravating indecisiveness characteristic of this time of year.
It’s no fun to fall into the dreaded “March Madness”
I wish you all the best in fighting its pull this springtime. Just remember, warm days and brandings are ahead.
Until next time, Ceily Rae Highberger
All photos in this blog post taken by my Sony Alpha 6000