I hate Utah. Not for the reasons you probably think. I mean, the religious right that dominate the politics of the state and the general attitude of the holier-than-thou faction is extremely annoying but one learns to adjust and live with it. What I can’t seem to get used to, however, is the weather. And lately, it seems, we are given no warning. The typical four seasons that used to make the state somewhat bearable have dwindled to two. Hot and cold. And yesterday we made the switch.

The weather changes, the air turns cold, and my atoms slow to barely an idle. My body moves in slow motion. Life sits frozen, waiting for June.

This is when depression sets in. It’s not anything that a prescription can solve. It’s a depression that results from loss of daylight and restrictions on fresh air. We have battened down the hatches, winterized the yard, and pulled out the winter coats. We’ve abandoned the air conditioner for the heater. We’ve added chili and beef stew to the menu. We’ve done our best to prepare. But a nip of cold on the nose and the sight of bare trees reminds us that we have been wrongly imprisoned by the elements. We are innocent victims of winter. The Judas sun has betrayed us.

Like all winters, I realize it will pass. And I also realize that I have the option of moving to a place with a warmer year-round climate. And believe me, I’m considering it. But for the time being, looking out my window at the steam rising from roofs and a sky as gray as cats, I am stuck in the moment. Sinking in the tar pit. Trudging through the dismal abyss that is the absence of a Utah autumn.

Oh winter, you are a miserable bastard. And I will never forgive you for your tyranny against the sun.

[photo credit]