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Friday, March 13, 2015

Seasonal Amnesia

You’re gonna wanna hold on to your hats – and any other bits of clothing that tend to fly off when you’re excited – but I have something new to report.

Also – are you seated?

Because there are birds.

In the trees.

I know! It had me blinking, I can tell you that much, but there – up there – in the trees, are birds.

Singing, chirping, non-Crow birds.

Surely barefootedness is just around the corner?

It’s been a long season.

Oh, come on, Pearl! You live in Minnesota! It’s not like you didn’t see the winter coming.I hear you. I acknowledge your line of thinking.

But you are wrong. I didn’t see winter coming, not for what it really is, just like I don’t really see summer coming. You must know by now that the only way one can live in a part of the world like Minnesota is to develop seasonal amnesia.

Winter? Said during the heavy-wet-wool-blanket of heat known as August, the word has no power at all. Winter is but a brisk breeze, longed-for, recalled fondly as an excuse to wear adorably fuzzy sweaters and drink ourselves silly during toasty parties with others of our kind.

Summer? Summer, recalled during the I-think-my-eyeballs-are-frozen depths of blue-aired winter, is a skin-kissed dream of dappled sunlight and freshly mown lawns and not the stay-on-your-side-of-the-bed-there’s-not-enough-talcum-powder-in-the-world experience sure to come…

We forget the seasons, each and every time.

And are therefore continually surprised.

By birds. In trees.

The birds have returned. The last of the snow is gone. Not far behind that will be the buds on the trees and crocuses pushing up through the grateful earth.

We are eager. We are giddy. And we are ready to expose our limbs to the public.

I mean it, guys. I’m going to take off my coat eventually.

25 comments:

Shelly said...

Spring...that exquisite antidote to winter crankiness and achy joints. We've been enjoying it here for a few weeks, with shaved legs, nascent tans...and it's already epic.

jenny_o said...

That seasonal amnesia - you nailed it. How I love spring and fall. And half the time each, the other two hellish seasons.

Mary Koppel said...

Just arrived back in the 'hood and am speechless that snow is gone before the Ides of March!

joeh said...

Woo-Hoo!

joeh said...

Did I just say "Woo-Hoo!"

I've got to stop drinking wine spritzes.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

Yep, I saw it yesterday when the melted snow gave way to the peeking sprouts of tulips in the very moist earth.

We can all rejoice!

Anonymous said...

Eventually yes...but keep a grip on it for a while longer.

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

Saw my first robin last evening. I did! Oh yes I did!!

Jocelyn said...

I keep staring at squares of sidewalk and asking them, "So you were here all the time?"

Jono said...

Don't get TOO excited. It's only the 13th of March, you know what can happen.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
oh yeah, I had a scary time today too.... **spring**cleaning... there I wrote it out loud. Yup. AND I didn't have to switch the light on till after 6pm... and we don't even have daylight savings on yet!!!! Chuck that coat over here gal. Break out the straps. Keep a cardi to hand though. Ya jus' never know..... YAM xx

Watson said...

And those poor people in places like Florida have the same old dreary summer weather all year long. Must be terribly b-o-r-i-n-g.

ThreeOldKeys said...

"... not-enough-talcum-powder-in-the-world".

among all your wonderfully-written lines in this post, that's the one that made me, just for a second, remember. i could even hear the ceiling fan and feel the soggy pillow.

now i'm back to my seasonamnesia.

Anonymous said...

OK. I don't usually comment, here. I just read. But, I am pissed. So, I am going to take the time to comment.

I'm in Massachusetts and we still have 2 feet of snow on the ground. That's down from 6, so I was feeling pretty good about it.

Until now.

How can spring have arrived in Minnesnowta? And it still feels like the dead of winter, here? It just ain't right!!!

Catalyst said...

Maybe it's just a little . . let's see, what did we used to call it? Oh, I know - Indian Summer! Oh, no, I just Googled that and it's in the fall. Never mind.

The Cranky said...

Maybe you meant a Strawberry Spring Catalyst?

Summer will come, but first we have to survive Mud season... see, you really do have seasonal amnesia Pearl.

Leenie said...

I thought I was the only one to forget. Every time. Oh,look! BIRDS!

Geo. said...

I know many people get seasonal amnesia but, as to whether I do or not, I forget. If I remembered, I suppose I wouldn't.

Anonymous said...

Saw my first robin last weekend and have been outside every day enjoying this beautiful weather for a week and a half now. We ARE lucky to have seasons!

River said...

We're having Indian Summer here in Australia, the calendar says autumn, but the temperature today is 33C, skies are sunny and blue. but the nights are definitely cooler, wonderful for sleeping, with a definite nip in the early morning air.

Douglas said...

Ah yes... We always look forward (dream about) the next season to come... and then are surprised by the first signs of it. We even do it in Paradise... winter was brutal this year with many days that barely edged up to 70 and lows in the 40's. I blame the "snowbirds" who seem to bring it down each year from "up nawth."

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I hear ya, no matter how much we know a change in the weather is coming it always seems to come as a shock when it happens and I don't know why that is. This I said after having to get up and close the front door as I am in shorts and there is a cool breeze coming through it making my legs cold.

Linda O'Connell said...

I am so looking forward to naked feet season, and I just might rush it.

Anonymous said...

In the true Minnesota mindset, I do not believe we have reached spring yet. I anticipate at least one of two more substantial winter events, including "blowing and drifting snow" and "windchill warnings". Because we just don't deserve spring yet. We always pay for it later. You know we do, Pearl.
Even so, we are one day closer to that blissful summer humidity every day.

the walking man said...

Pearl only sort of having fresh water around you, i don't doubt you're ready to take your coat off but being surrounded by that stuff which will not thaw until Mid-August I am not even ready to take my thermals off for my seasonal shower yet.