Winter returns ...

...to Northern California.

The high pressure area that was stalled over the state has finally dissipated or moved on or whatever they do. It's snowing. Lightly. I doubt we'll get much of it at this elevation (3,200 ft.) but it's good to know that above us, it's snowing, too. And up there, it will be steady all day and sticking hard.

It's hard to describe how relieved I am. There are few things that I have any control of in the world, and in terms of day-to-day life, predictability is tenuous, at best. But one of the things I've always been able to hold onto is that in the winter, the weather will be chilly and wet. Here in California, it might not be as cold as I'd like, but I could always look forward to the rainy season, short as it is. This season, after a lovely Christmas teaser of truly cold temperatures and plenty of snow, the weather went haywire and suddenly, we were living in a balmy, very early springtime. For me, it was jarring. A betrayal, almost. It really did affect my mood, making me mopey and hopeless.

I guess I really need seasonal changes. Being able to experience them was one of the main reasons that we moved to this area, along with the wonderful, fertile soil for gardening and my love of evergreens and Stellar's jays. At this moment, watching the snowfall, I'm at peace.