A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the Snowbird, an American species of migrant human which likes its weather warm, and at the first frost heads south, to maintain that tan, avoid the flu, and send snarky postcards back north to people who are suffering from snow and sleet. There is, as always, another side to the story.
Some people actually prefer temperatures below seventy, and there are even those who enjoy the conditions of winter. True, as my warm weather friends keep informing me, there are not a LOT of stories written about the joys of being stuck in the snow on your way to work or skidding on black ice on your way home. But winter does have its rewards. There is, for example, the occasional elegance seen in the postcard at the top of this column, and the joys of cuddling for warmth, as seen here. (If you cannot read the Fine Old Joke in the caption, the gentleman is asking his girlfriend the difference between the Freezing Point and the Squeezing Point. The answer, according to him, is that the Freezing Point is thirty above zero, while the Squeezing Point is two in the shade. (I said it was a Fine Old Joke, not a good one.)
But those are artists’ renderings of winter. What about REAL winter? For that we must go to the rppc (real photo postcard, where ordinary citizens could get their own snapshots printed on postcards.) These do exist, and a goodly number of them deal with winter wardrobes. This card is part of a small collection which was created in St. Paul, Minnesota, where these couples stepped into the studio to show off their winter preparedness. No one here looks as if they wish they were on the beach.
Mind you, they are indoors, under the hot lights of a photographer. (This is another from the Minnesota collection.)
These two adventurers, however, are from somewhere else entirely, and, from the looks of them, belong to that class of people which are quite the opposite of the snowbird. These folks actually seek out the cold regions of the world for their explorations and/or hijinks. One important feature of this sort of person is the ability to look, at least in the studio, as if they are ready for a brisk walk up Mount Everest this afternoon and, if time permits, a second and third. (They MAY, in reality, just be dressed for a jaunt to the bar on a windy day.)
Alas that there is no label here. These ladies are obviously on some sort of jaunt themselves in chilly regions, and have paused at a stone fence which had some significance at the time. Now, about a century later, we have no idea if this is the lookout point on Pumpkin Peak or the parking lot outside the rest stop on Flaptrap Road. OR they may have simply said “Let’s stop at the first good place and get a picture of our new winter coats.”
See, showing off that new winter wardrobe is a frequent motivation behind winter rppcs, and children are frequently the sufferers from this. A child generally needs a new winter coat every year, especially in the early years, when growth is constant and loving aunts and grandmothers with knitting needles can turn out a wonderful ensemble. This infant looks willing, but confused: why did he have to put on all this stuff to go sit indoors in front of a man who keeps talking about watching birdies?
MUCH better to get that picture of little Mildred’s new winter coat and hat outdoors, where it makes some sense.
This tot feels the same way about it. “Come on, I’m all dressed up for snow! Let’s go go go!”
Richard Adams, in Watership Down, had sharp words for winter lovers, which can hardly be denied. One of the chief joys in winter, he said, is getting in out of it. I feel like going inside for some hot chocolate about now myself.
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