Driving to North City today, I admired the yellowing branches of the black willows that are native to this part of the country. The sap must be rising. It reminded me of those crystalline February days in New Hampshire, when the tips of the white birch branches would begin to turn a lovely, deep magenta. Against the dark green firs and the pure white of the birches, it was a lovely sight.
One of most appealing things about New Hampshire to me was that even in the dead of winter, when many landscapes are just a series of different sized sticks, the scenery there was colorful. With or without a blanket of pristine snow, the forests were bright with the white birches, shining in the sun against the pine green firs. And when there was sun, the snow would sparkle in the light in a most inviting fashion.
Sometimes it was so cold the air itself would crystallize into tiny diamonds, floating to the ground. Those days, the snow would creak under your feet and your cheeks and nose would freeze almost instantly. But it was a dry cold, so it didn't permeate your very bones the way the damp cold does here.
I know there were bad days, both emotionally and physically, but my memories are all of bright sun. Even the snow storms themselves were dramatic, with the flakes falling at an amazing rate. In the summer, the rain came almost as dramatically. In fact, the year we moved there, the 7 years of drought broke and almost drowned our garden.
The ground was bare in North City today; they are so close to the great lake that their snow doesn't last long. The sun was shining, and the air was warm; one could almost believe that spring is coming. Driving back to our Village, as I came over the ridge line, the ground was still hiding under the snow. But the sun was still out, and the air was still quite warm. And I mailed the rest of my veggie seed orders yesterday.
Life is good; it would be better with spring! Thanks be to God. Amen
6:59 PM
I'm really tired tonight. I had a late meeting last night, so I didn't get my usual sleep. Tonight is the only time I am home for the rest of the week; I have to teach a parent class tomorrow night about 70 miles from here, Thursday I have D-Council, about 80 miles from here, and Friday night I have an assessment meeting that will probably go until 8 p.m.
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