Happy Saint Patircks Day & the approaching Spring


The traditional pathway that we once counted on, March - In like a Lion, out like a Lamb. April showers bring May flowers, etc... has not been followed by Mother Nature for more than a decade. Sure, you would always have those extended periods of cold weather or showers that extended into the month of June. But the axiom was nevertheless a given.

This Winter in New England did appear more traditional with snow early and many substantial storms. More like those that I experienced as a small boy growing up in a small New England town. So, it is with great hope that we will have a long missed traditional Spring. You know the kind. After a hard winter, you are blessed with the gift of bright sunshine, mud, melting snow and birds of all kinds singing in unison.

As I walked this afternoon, the melting snow that formed little streams upon the side of the road brought back memories of my childhood. We lived on the top of a small hill. The melting snows would accumulate and roll towards the bottom. That which missed the catch basin due to the stream being wider than the drain opening would continue downward towards the Field above the river.

When I was younger than ten or eleven years old, we would take the remaining snow and make large Hoover Dams and hold back the water until much of the street was flooded. An occasional car would pas by and they would often humor us and pass by slowly. (Boy, times have changed!) We would build little snow houses below the dam and let the water build with our anticipation. We would place a small indent into our snow structure, letting the weight of the water and the fractured dam do its thing.

With great fanfare we would watch the water flood the street and gorge the drain with water too vast to be swallowed. Great fun for little boys!

You can feel Spring in the air. Mud on your shoes. Birds are singing. The Sun warms you quickly. Is that too much to hope for?

Comments

Loralee Choate said…
Happy St. Patrick's Day to the world's biggest Guinness fan!!!
Anonymous said…
Ah, spring! Hope you had a Guinness or 2 to celebrate!

On rare occasion, I miss the melting snow and anticipation of budding trees. Now I just curse the wind...
Mike Golch said…
Spring time! there was a line in the "producers" that start with just that.
One of the biggest things I look forward to it the trees budding,we will not talk about %%$$$##$$@@((**& Snow!
Watching the snow melt up here in the high Rockies is beautiful too.

Your post brings back wondrous moments of watching those little streams you mentioned glistening with water gushing forth.

We use to build the damns in the street as well. I've always been fascinated by water and it's fluid nature. It's no wonder then that water is such powerful imagery for many religions.
bert said…
how could I forget to wish you the same! Shame on me :)

Happy (belated) Paddy's day!
tao1776 said…
Thanks Rubik!
C'mon Al! The wind is awesome. Unless in your part of the woods it is something other than it is here. Wind in the trees sounding like an ocean. The wind awakening the haunting within your soul. A good fire to remind the wind that fire & wind can be angry Gods but can also be friends...
Yeah Mike....Me n' the boys would head to Carlyle PA for the Spring car swap in mid April. Down there they'd be mowing their lawns while back in NE we'd be still struggling to see a single bud!
James, my Bro! I'd love to come by and visit. So much beautiful nature to admire!
Bert....when we going to have a whiskey tasting?
bert said…
Well,

I should visit you guys one day. Let's all meet up in Canada? :)

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