Hi Neighbour,
Are you feeling the cold creeping into your days—and bones—with the clear message that our September Indian summer is over? Well, I have felt it for a few weeks. But I didn’t want to believe it. Hope springs eternal, but the rain dampened my hopes and brought an unwelcomed chill.
To add to my difficulty, every year, as part of my way of trimming my household expenses and reducing my use of natural gas and electricity, I turn off my furnace from May 1st until October 1st. And when October 1st arrives, I try to go a few days longer before turning my furnace back on. I put on a sweater when I’m inside, add a blanket to my bed and learn to adapt to the temperature change. I believe it’s healthy for our bodies to adjust to seasonal changes, rather than being coddled by ideal regulated temperatures in our homes all year round.
So I’ve managed to delay turning on the furnace, for a week so far. The funny thing is that it has kind of forced me to dance around in the house. I mean, when I don’t want to go outside, because it’s raining and cold, exercising or dancing raises my body temperature. It feels good doing the usual household chores, when I’m moving to the sound of music.
Gardening has been a life-saver for me, in the spring and summer. During the pandemic, when the weather or the season haven’t been good for gardening, I’ve developed things to do inside, that aren’t sedentary. In the fall and winter, dancing and innovating ways to stay active has been rewarding. If the music moves me, it’s fun to be active or do exercises and, ultimately, I sleep better. I’ve read some good books—including Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker—but too much sitting at a computer or reading is not good if it takes the place of healthy movement. And, I’m happy to say, my physical activity has saved me from weight gain during COVID.
A few days ago, when the weather was decent, I went for a hike in Lynn Headwaters—something I haven’t done at all during COVID. On the Lynn Loop trail, I soon realized how unfit I am for hiking. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, I used to hike in Lynn Headwaters and on Mount Seymour regularly, testing myself to move faster, without running. Well, the Lynn Loop trail has been upgraded since the last time I hiked it. There are bridges over streams and stairways to protect the slope and natural vegetation. And a Habitat Restoration Area, beside the creek, which is fascinating to see. They’ve even added bigger and better bike racks.
Before I left Lynn Headwaters, I filled bottles with ozonated water from the tap near the BC Mills heritage house. I was energized and I’m eager to get back to the forest soon, when it’s not raining.
Fiona