There is a different breeze blowing in Mandan, North Dakota. You step out of the house and take a big, deep breath of Spring! It's apparent in the green grass peeking through the snow drifts in the yard. The lakes of melting snow that cover the streets speak of warmer days ahead. The temperature tempt you to open the windows and let in some fresh air.
We have had a long, hard winter. North Dakota is known for it's tough winter weather. We are hardy by nature and know what it takes to come through the 8 months of winter unscathed. However, I, for one, am tired of winter and everything that comes with it! I had the bedroom window opened while napping last Sunday and it was great to hear the sounds of the neighborhood children riding bikes on the sidewalk outside my house. My cat, Monster, lay in the window surveying her kingdom. Even she seemed to know that Spring was in the air.
Knowing that Spring is right around the next bend, I feel confident to speak out against all for the evils of winter. I know that we have a rain/snow storm forecast for next week, but I'm throwing caution to the wind.
The things I will not miss about winter~
1. Shoveling every cotton pickin' day. Enough!
2. Bundling up in 17 layers of clothing before leaving the house. I can't wait for the day when I walk out the front door without so much as a jacket.
3. Only 9 hours of daylight a day. I'm like a plant - if I don't get enough sunlight, I wilt.
4. Dealing with the car -- scraping windows, getting it started, keeping it running. Yuck!
5. Ice. Driving on it. Walking on it. Trying to stop on it. Basically not a good time.
6. No fresh vegetables. I struggle to enjoy tomatoes that have been strip mined in Texas. Give me a tomato warm from the sun any day of the week!
7. Wind Chills. Cold is cold. Knowing it's 40 below with the wind chill makes it feel colder.
8. Always having a backup plan in case of a snowstorm. It's nice to set a date and know that barring a hurricane, earthquake or tornado, the weather will not stop you from having your event.
9. Spending 25 minutes trying to decide what to wear. I consider myself "low maintenance". I don't obsess about what to wear. However, I found myself trying to weigh the benefits of wearing extra layers by my final destination. Work -- probably OK with just one layer, Church - better go with two layers. Filling up with gas -- best go for a snowmobile suit and a face mask.
10. Waiting for the puppy outside. Lucy didn't seem to notice that it was 25 below. She would wander around in the yard sniffing and eating snow until her feet were too cold for her to walk into the house. Lucy doesn't have good time management skills and hadn't taken care of the reason she was outside in the first place. This meant yet another trip outside to see if you could frostbite my entire face. She didn't seem to care.
Spring is a wonderful time. Bird sing, flowers bloom, trees get their leaves and kids look forward to a long summer vacation. Our spring is so short -- get out an enjoy it while you can. After the long winter, spring is even sweeter this year.
2 comments:
I must have missed spring. This morning my bride and I were out shoveling snow in the pitch dark so I could drive to work as I had an interview with a reporter this morning. The reporter didn't show up so I called his office. He called in sick. As Yogi Berra once said, "It's deja vu all over again." Snow snow go away, coming again next January.
I could have used your list the other day when the dentist ask me why I was tired of winter.It was snowing and blowing out her window and with a jesture of my hand toward the window enough was said.I would handle winter better if there were no illness. My joints don't work this time of year like they do in summer,either.I heard spring the other day.The birds are coming back from the south.I'm guessing they arrived early.It was great to hear there songs in the air.I make a mental note not to let that sound become mundane in the summer.My store is located at 5600 feet above sea level so warm weather comes later in June.That makes about 3 more months of cold and snow for me.When I arrive at Virginia City in June the wood-burners are still warming houses.It will rain about three weeks and then it's very nice for a short while.I call that summer and it goes by fast.
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