Getting Past Cabin Fever

© Jen Baldwin, 2012-2013.

For some of us around the globe, winter can last a very long time. You start to dream of the simple things: grass, going outside without multiple layers of clothing, a day free of snow shovels. 

As a genealogist, I start thinking about which cemeteries I want to visit, and when. Which ghost town’s I want to see during the limited summer months.

Not complaining, here. We love where we live. It’s just… well, yea, the cold gets to you once in a while.

So, here are my top ten ways to get past that winter cabin fever.

1. Take a walk.  Even if it is only 15 F outside, bundle yourself up and get some fresh air. You may just have a light bulb moment, causing you to rush back to your research plan, blog, or anything else you might have going. If you cannot, for whatever reason, actually go outside; open your window for a few minutes. Let that fresh air in!
   
   
2. Go back in your files.  Give yourself some time to rediscover a piece you may have forgotten about in your files. You never know what you may learn, and it may just kick start your energy level.
   
   
3. Reach out. Collaborate! Social media is available for all of us, and the online genealogy community gets bigger each day. There is so much to learn just by talking to each other! Best tip, though; if you live in a cold climate, when you are feeling really down about the weather, talk to other’s who live in cold climates, too. Don’t chat it up with your best genea friend in southern Florida, it will only make you feel worse. Find someone in a similar situation and share sob stories for a minute or two.
   
   
4. Don’t Dwell. Share that sob story! But keep it to a limit. If you wallow in the bad weather, as we all well know, it will only make it worse. Put on some upbeat music, and let yourself find a happy place.
   
   
5. Find a Small Museum. Find one, the smallest you can, and plan to spend at least two hours there. Trust me, the person tending the site will be happy to have someone to chat with, and undoubtedly, you will learn something.
   
   

6. 

   Idaho Springs, Colorado Cemetery
   © Ancestral Journeys, 2012-2013

   Research a Stranger. This is one of my favorite things to break up the repetition, and I plan for it during the summer months. I’ll stop at a random cemetery or historical society and take pictures of something that has no relevance to my current research whatsoever. Then during the winter, I pull those out and just start digging. Don’t have those unknown photos laying about? Grab a local history book from the library, and research someone from your community.
   
   
7. Go Elsewhere. Get out of the house. Again. Find a local coffee shop that has comfy chairs and sit there for a bit. Let the local traffic distract you. A new set of walls can do a world of good, and you never know, you may meet someone with similar interests.
   
   
8. Move Seats. If you cannot get out of the house (which is often my situation, as I’m a Mommy, too), then give yourself a different view from within your home. Go from office, to table, to bedroom and back again. This does not necessarily mean that your computer needs to travel with you; sometimes your best friend can be a notepad and pen.
   
   
9. Break Up Your Routine. I write most often with a cup of tea at hand. In the afternoon’s. With music on. Nearly every day, that is where you will find me. Every once in a while, though, I need to stimulate my routine with a change, even a small one. A cold beverage instead of hot; write in the morning, or stay up late. Change the music; listen to a podcast or webinar instead. It can be something very small, but it may make a difference. We are creatures of habit, and we can just as easily get into the habit of winter blues as we can anything else.
   
   
10. Challenge Yourself. Do something bold, something new. Venture into new territory. This may mean that you join us for #genchat on Twitter, or it might be going to a new repository or archives in another city. Out of your comfort zone. Be creative, spontaneous, adventurous!
    
    Keep in mind - and this is very important - winter can only last so long. Before you know it, you'll be back in those cemeteries, back to getting your hands dirty (literally) on the research goods. Don't despair, it's already almost March!
    
    
    

    

    Grand Tetons National Park flower.
    © Ancestral Journeys, 2012-2013

    
    

1884 Snow Plow

Living in Summit County means you have to deal with snow. Sometimes, a lot of snow.

One of the heaviest winter's recorded was that of 1898-1899. The piles were massive, trains and supplies were stopped, and many of the mountain's small communities were cut off for weeks at a time. From the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance's website:

A record snowfall hits Breckenridge and residents are forced to dig snow tunnels to get around town. Rail service resumes on April 24th, after a 78 day blockade.

Miner's cabin in snow. Colorado, taken between 1882-1900.
Photographer: W.H. Jackson
Source: Denver Public Library Digital Collections

 So, it was a tough way of life. Miner's were known to build doors and/or window's into the roofs or upper eaves of their cabins, and then use that as their primary entrance during the winter. There was no real reason for them to continually shovel around the ground level entrance; that was certainly a lot of work, and removed helpful insulation from around the home.

There were some folks who were determined to do something about the labor intensive task of keeping town streets clean of snow. If you look at any of the photos from that era of our high country communities, you will see snow piles lining the streets, at times as high as two story buildings! That is a lot of shoveling. Not only where the streets and residential areas a concern, but the railroad tracks became extremely important in this matter. If the train could not get through the snow, and avalanches over tracks and trains were common occurrences  burying both, then supplies, mail, passengers and other necessities were unavailable.

I recently came across a patent record issued in 1884 by a resident of Red Cliff, Colorado. One Mr. John Q. Day issued Patent No. 299750 for a "Snow-Plow".  His design requires the machine to move along the tracks, and;

"...The snow is gathered on the curved mold-board n ... and is shoveled or scraped therefrom into the wheel groves by the shovels..." 

Partial Image from Patent No. 299750
United States Patent Office

If you have not included a patent search in your own genealogy process, I highly recommend it. You can do this easily through Google (what else?), by using the Google Patents Search. Filters include filing date and type of patent. In the past, I have found a few connected with my family tree, including one for a design of a head lice remover.

Even if you don't find one submitted by an actual family member, you can certainly find other ideas from their neighbors, giving you a great look at the problems they experienced in every day life, and the solutions they were trying to come up with.

I do not know if this snow-plow was ever used by any railroad companies, but I do not think it would be difficult to find out. It does, however, make for a very interesting topic around the dinner table!

Have you had any success searching patents? Do you have any interesting stories? I would love to hear them.

Wordless Wednesday: Snow in the Mountains

Since we woke up to fresh snow this morning, about two inches worth, I felt this was appropriate. Make sure to stop and think about the monthly measurements listed towards the end of the article. Fairly impressive!