Winter, love it or hate it (1/20/2023)

Having been born and grown up in the tropic I never particularly like cold, cloudy, dreary weather. As a novelty it is fine: a “snowstorm”, a few inches of snow, a day below freezing and a night around 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 degrees C). But to me it gets old very quickly, I like it above 80. Strangely enough, winters in Gallup, NM were tolerable. There nights might dip to 15 below zero Fahrenheit or negative 26 C, while during the day it would still go up to 40 degrees (4.4 C). The advantage of living in the high desert of New Mexico (7000 feet or about 2100 meters above sea level) is that it was sunny almost every day and that compensated for a lot of the temperature swings we experienced.

So, was this feeling of dread in the winter caused by seasonal affected disorder (SAD) and the lack of sunshine, or my hatred of the cold winter season? I really don’t know, maybe both. I know one thing, ever since COVID I have been working at home and my home office has a lot of my tropical bonsais and plants around. Yes, my greenhouse is too small to house them all. I run several grow lights on timers to allow these plants to survive, and I am constantly radiated by these lights when working here in my home office. I know that my mood has been much better in winter since COVID and maybe it is all these grow lights, who knows? Maybe it is all the oxygen I am bathing in released by those plants in my home office, or the walks with the dogs in the woods behind our home I have every morning. Or all the above?

Believe it or not, this was not what I wanted to write about when I started this morning. But if you know me, a mind is a terrible thing to waste, and my fingers tend to go where no fingers have gone before, on this keyboard at least; this is what came out up to now.

Back to the subject “du jour,” or subject of intention. What I do like of winter is my ability to see the branch profile of trees. As a dilettante in bonsai, I have this perverse interest in the profile of trees, and the best time to examine this is in winter. You can clearly see the branch patterns, the ramification of the branches, basically how the canopies of the trees are constructed. I can learn how to duplicate that in my trees. Study how oaks do it versus maples, even versus pines. You can see oddities that you might want to try to copy on your benches. More and more growers aim to mimic the natural growth habit of their miniature trees to what the mature counterparts look like in nature. In the past they wanted to make something strange, now it is more “does it represent what you see in the natural environment?” I love it.

I find that there is always something different and new to see in winter. In the summer many of the trees and canopies are obscured by leaves (you must be my age to notice all my hidden rock music and other non-original references/plagiarisms today). It is important to be able to see things in real life and on the trees on my benches. This winter I have been studying both and slowly pruning the trees on the benches. I might actually start thinking about repotting some of my trees, if it was not going to rain this Sunday. I need to get a jump on the season, this year I have a lot that need work done. There is of course a risk of some heavy frost until the end of February; however, if I keep track of the ones I repotted, I could move them into the greenhouse or the garage for a night or two if it gets too cold.

Concluding, while I miss the tropics and used to loath the winters for it’s cold, damp, dismal, dark and dreary days or even stretch of days, I am starting to appreciate them for what the bring when I am out and about. I also like it because it allows me to see the profile and structure of my trees unencumbered by leaves and it forces me to prepare for repotting season.

I just enjoy looking up to see how the branch structure is in trees because that is what we try to mimic in our bonsai.  This simply profile is just nice to look at.

This is a closeup of the picture above.  Somehow two trees grew together and formed this bizarre looking tree that almost looks like a man with two legs.  During the summer there is a hedge here and this was the first time I discovered it. 

New Year's Resolutions (1/13/2023)

It is already halfway into the first month of the New Year, and I am wondering how many of you have failed your resolutions already. I have decided that I don’t like to participate in this fad. Why the hell do I have to clean the (my) slate only once a year and resolve to do better? Maybe I should do this every morning when I wake up or Monday morning at the beginning of the work week? How about the first of the month?

Sorry, here I am pontificating that I am perfect and don’t need to better myself. Far from it. This chubby, or at least slightly overweight guy (actually, my BMI chart tells me that I am borderline obese), who, I gladly admit has numerous flaws? However, this is not a confession booth, sorry! Moreover, I am not Catholic.

I just hate all these people with good intentions that obviously will fall by the wayside. Sorry folks! I was a member of the YMCA, when I lived in Cincinnati in the 90s. I used to go to the gym at least once a week on Saturdays. When I was not traveling for work, I would go at least one additional evening during the week. After we moved to the Tidewater, I worked out briefly at the Jewish Community Center in Virginia Beach, which was next door to my office at the time. Later, in Williamsburg we went to Ironbound Gym in Newtown (Williamsburg). I never was fanatic, but I did enjoy the rowing machines and the weight machines. The past seven or so years before COVID we did yoga every Monday evening at our community center. Did I lose any weight? I don’t think so, but I do think my body looked a bit better proportioned. It just definitely made me feel good and science tells me it might allow me to live a better longer life.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, regardless of what activity I participated in, every January there was an influx of folks with good intentions. There were lines at the weight machines, at the rowing machines, and you had to come early to get a good spot in yoga so this guy, who is hard of hearing, could hear the instructor. Thank goodness after about four weeks the crowds were gone, and things returned to normal for the rest of the year; the resolutions were forgotten. People were disillusioned. I really think that if you try to change a habit once a year it will be difficult to make it stick!

Science tells us that in order to make something a habit you need to do it at least 4 to 6 weeks or so in a row. I googled “Making Habits Stick” and got recipes to do it in 3, 5 or 18 steps. For example, Nike gave me the following three steps: habit stacking (or connect it to an already existing habit you have); make incremental changes (start slow); and turn inwards (figure out why you want to do it, or what is your motivation). Nike also tells me not to be disappointed if you miss a day, or two, or three. Get back on that proverbial horse. I looked at others from CNN, Forbes, and a guy from lifehacks. I agree with some of their prescriptions and hate others. They just get too complicated or just plain dumb. Lifehack is stupid in my eyes 18 point, now keep track of that, it would need to become a brand-new habit.

I particularly like Nike’s step two. I think all these New Year’s resolutions make you take the “big leap” and I think that is what sets a lot of people up for failure. Let’s go all in on the New Year! Nope. That is not the right way to approach it and that is one reason why I hate them; even the dry (no alcohol) January (or whatever they call it). I admit it, I love a good microbrew or a glass of good wine.

OK friends, while I am not discouraging resolutions, now you know why I don’t make any. Yes, I have already made an appointment with and gone to my dermatologist for my first annual skin test after COVID. I missed two years, and I am glad to report that all is well. As you see, I keep working on myself and hope you all do as well.

Happy 2023.

One thing I'll keep doing in the new year is walking and enjoying nature.