Chances for a second Spring?

Most years here in the North Country, Spring happens sometime in April or early May. Mud season occurs anywhere between St. Patrick's Day and Memorial Day. Speaking only for myself, I've never been terribly impressed by the way Minnesota handles Spring. It's like the maximum period between late Winter 50's and early Summer 90's can be no more than 24 to 48 hours. Maybe that's why Mother Nature has decided to practice Spring a second time this year. She's trying to get it right? 2020 has been that  kind  of year.

Here's what I'm talking about. Yesterday's snow is melting slowly, verrryyy slowwlllyyy, but it is melting. Many of our bushes still have green leaves, so, when the snow melt has finished....green again! Another reason we can't be seeing the real beginning of Winter is that locally we've yet to see any woolly bear caterpillars. We don't now whether to expect a better, average, or worse Winter than usual. Then again, the shallow pond / creek up the road was covered with skim ice a few days ago. 2020 has been that kind of year.

early ice onset: chance for a second Spring iceout?

Photo by J. Harrington

Let's assume that in a week or ten days or so, temperatures rebound to seasonal upper 40's low 50's. S'now gone! At about that time, more or less, election day will have occurred and the vote counting soon will be over, probably followed by several lawsuits which we hope will be promptly settled and then Biden-Harris can begin planning their inauguration celebrations. Remember, a favorite book from years ago (1963) promises that "Spring Is a New Beginning." That's what we need this year, a New Beginning. It can also serve as an early Christmas present and, we hope, one that we can give thanks for in late November. 

Otherwise, we are, I'm afraid, in for four more years of deadly blizzards instead of typical political snow jobs. But, maybe, just maybe, 2020 will stop being "that kind of year," will end early, and we get to celebrate "out with the old, in with the ...?"

Today's posting has been brought to you by early onset cabin fever.

Spring

Edna St. Vincent Millay - 1892-1950

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

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