Valley Winter Song

Snow in Central Park
Credit: New York Times

Living in Southern California, it's easy to lose track of the seasons when it's warm and sunny most every day. I'll admit- so far it's pretty great to have consistently pleasant weather, but having grown up in Virginia it feels like something is lost by not going through the natural cycle of life, death, and rebirth like other parts of the country. When almost every day is the same, time seems to stand still. The changing of seasons is a nice reminder that time is passing, and it's hard to feel that when the weather forecast seems pulled out of Groundhog Day.

LA does have seasons- the differences between them are just less extreme. And the shorter days with less sunlight make it clear that this is not summertime. Winter is the rainy season- which was reassuring to find out, because since I moved last summer, the first time it really rained was in November.

But though the calendar has changed to March, winter isn't over just yet, as most of the East Coast is covered in snow. While I don't miss de-icing my car, there are times when I could go for a crisp, wintry day. For me, "Valley Winter Song" by Fountains of Wayne captures that nostalgia. Along with 'No Better Place', it's one of the standout tracks from their otherwise-unremarkable album Welcome Interstate Managers. Last year LL Bean used the song perfectly for its holiday commercial:


Here's a full version of the song. Wherever you are, you can close your eyes and find yourself in a New England winter.

Valley Winter Song - Fountains of Wayne