No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
English proverb
It’s Groundhog Day. Yeah, so what? We all know we’re getting a minimum of six more weeks of winter, no matter what the top-hatted keepers of the many-times-removed ancestor of Pennsylvania’s most famous large rodent have to say.
At least we’re on the other side of the darkness, even as the snow continues piling up. The five weeks before and the five weeks after Winter Solstice (Dec. 21) are the darkest weeks of the entire year, and we just crossed that line last Wednesday. The days are gradually getting longer… which gives us more time to shovel, right?
This has been one of the longest, and snowiest, winters in recent memory, with our heaviest snowfall months still to come in March and April. Even the comforting “we need the moisture” mantra is starting to feel a bit bleak. Maybe this is a test for all the “newcomers” in town. I guess we’ll see how many houses go up for sale once everyone digs out.
For those who haven’t lived here during the months elsewhere known as “spring,” don’t plan on a successive string of sunny days filled with blooms and warm breezes. Our version of spring is mostly an extension of winter, interspersed with muddy days that “smell like Greeley.” And then, when you think it’s safe to go outside, the sun is suddenly hot enough to sear your skin, because now it’s June.
Every new layer of snow is starting to feel a little like the movie “Groundhog Day,” where TV weatherman Phil Connors relives the same day again and again. I’ll remind us all (mostly me) of Phil’s eventual revelation on life: “No matter what happens tomorrow, or for the rest of my life, I’m happy now.” I might just print that out and tape it to my snow shovel.
By NIKI TURNER | [email protected]
