Winter thoughts

Enjoyed watching the last 'Autumnwatch' of the series on BBC last night, even though sometimes the presenters get tempted into doing a bit too much presenting and not enough just letting us see . . .

But I suppose it must now be winter. Meteorologists count winter as beginning on 1st December, although the calendar start is the solstice, 21st December or so (not sure exactly what date this year). This year's mild weather has allowed us to remain autumnal right through to the end of the month (I'm presuming here on the last few days), but this is a transition time of the year when one can never really be sure what to expect. Last year winter was well and truly under way by now, and the world around us here was thoroughly frozen!

For me the defining factor is daylength. I don't handle these dark evenings well, and hate having to drive at the evening peak at this time of the year. I'm sure my body is telling me it wants to hibernate - and yet, at the same time, I'm finding it hard to sleep. Nature around us has its rhythms; trees shut up shop, frogs and toads hibernate, squirrels aim to have laid in enough food to take things easy, summer birds leave us and winter birds arrive from the north. We, on the other hand, try to follow the same routine, same time out to work or school or college, same time back at night, whether it's summer or winter. It's no surprise that our bodies protest!