Winter's Last Hurrah?

The wondrous thing about living in Minnesota is you never quite know when Winter will end.  You have thaws in January and February and then the brutal cold returns or inches of snow fall the next day or week snarling traffic and deflating the hopes of the hearty citizens that Spring is almost here.  I know there are those whose livelihood depends on the snow and cold of the season, I, however, am not one of them.  Don’t get me wrong, I think that a fresh dusting of snow on the pine trees is beautiful, or when the frost coats the trees and it looks like something out of a Currier & Ives print it can truly make me stop and stare.  All I’m saying is that I like to see these things from the warmth of a car or from the window of my home.

I’m not exactly sure when I lost the invincibility of youth.  I can still clearly remember playing outside in the cold without a hat on, all the while my mother strongly encouraging me to put on a hat.  It’s different now.  I don’t need any prodding to zip up my coat and put on my earmuffs before heading out to shovel the drive.  It’s not as if I moved to a different climate and now need to readjust to the cold, I simply seem to have lost the protective shell of childhood.  Maybe it’s my metabolism slowing down.  Maybe it’s the responsibilities of life stripping away the insulation that we have as children.  Maybe I’m just ready to see Summer make it’s all to brief return to the Northland.  Whatever it is, I certainly am looking forward to Winter loosening it’s grip.  

The weathermen say it’s going to be in the 40s next week.  I look forward to that with anticipation.  I know it’s not the end of Winter yet, but it’s getting close.  Yesterday, I saw some Canadian Geese flying overhead and it filled me with a burst of joy to hear their honking and know that it is only a matter of time.  In the meantime, I will just have to put on an extra layer of clothes and let the memories of childhood rekindle the flame that warms me from the inside out.  And perhaps a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Terrence