The beginning of the end (of Winter)?

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, full of love and hugs and chocolates made from fair trade, organic, shade grown beans plus local ingredients. Our local source of such dark treats is St. Croix Chocolate Co. Obviously, if we had written about this yesterday or Thursday, we might have spoiled a surprise. Earlier this past week, we had a different kind of pleasant surprise. After an overnight light dusting of snow from one of our frequent "Alberta Clippers," the deck was covered with a number of bird tracks.

bird tracks on snow-dusted deck   © harrington

Are you excited about our upcoming thaw? I would be more so if it weren't for the ice dams on the north and south roof edges, and the fact that they're not likely to melt as quickly as I'd like. I may break down this year and hire someone to steam the damn dams off, or once again wait and see. Even though Spring is rarely one of Minnesota's best executed seasons, I'm looking forward to seeing bare ground, late spring flowers, and, yes, even mud. It's been that kind of Winter. Jane Cooper shares a promise of upcoming Spring.

Hunger Moon

By Jane Cooper 

The last full moon of February

stalks the fields; barbed wire casts a shadow.

Rising slowly, a beam moved toward the west

stealthily changing position

until now, in the small hours, across the snow

it advances on my pillow

to wake me, not rudely like the sun

but with the cocked gun of silence.

I am alone in a vast room

where a vain woman once slept.

The moon, in pale buckskins, crouches

on guard beside her bed.

Slowly the light wanes, the snow will melt

and all the fences thrum in the spring breeze

but not until that sleeper, trapped

in my body, turns and turns. 

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