Hal Borland made me chuckle this morning with this:"No matter what happens now, the year has committed itself, January is past, this is February, and up there ahead lie March and April. And May. But since man is man, not woodchuck, he has to live with the interim, not sleep it out and emerge into a green and vernal world. Incidentally, there weren't any woodchucks out in this neck of the woods on Groundhog Day. If the alarm clock went off, they let it ring, as they usually do.
This is probably as good a time as any to remember that it is only 85 days until May Day, when violets will be in bloom and the lawn will need to be mowed again. And it is only 149 days till the Fourth of July, when the beaches will be jammed and sunburn will be as universal as sniffles are now.
And it is only 208 days till Sept. 1st. That won't be the end of Summer by the almanac, but to all practical purposes Autumn starts with Labor Day. Back to the desk, back to work, back to school. And the next thing we know, it will be October and first frost and Columbus Day and the height of the color in the trees in New England. And before you can catch your breath it will be Thanksgiving. How time flies! If you really must know, it is only 323 days till Christmas. And then it will start snowing again.
Maybe we shouldn't have brought the matter up to begin with. But it is February, after all, only 85 days till May Day." -- from Sundial of the Seasons
Day after day, year upon year I find a minute to read the day's entry in this favorite of all my books. Hal Borland somehow always manages to speak to the things I know to be true and, more often than not, makes me laugh in the process.
I laugh at myself for longing to see my little pond alive again, like in this photo, rather than the sad gloomy mess it is at the moment. I almost can't wait to have my hands in the dirt come Spring, though it will mean an end to the twice monthly manicures that have my fingernails looking pretty for a change.
That's not to say that I'm not enjoying this time in between, but maybe that it's the anticipation of the next that makes now enjoyable. Tonight it's almost 60 degrees and I'm wondering if I shouldn't have found my way out to the farm field in back to see if the woodcock weren't feeling that same anticipation.
5 comments:
Laura, your blog makes me swoon. Hal Borland is good, but you put it all together for a good read.
Pond looking dull - yes, I know that well. How quickly the seasons go by... Here it is February already.
75 degrees today - balmy - unreal. A taste of May Day, but very odd.
Wear pretty gloves to protect your nails. I do, sometimes :o)
In January I remind myself how hot it can get in July; in July, how cold I was in January. It can help. I wonder what people in San Diego look forward to.
I remember when we went to get our Flemish, Marnie. She was being fostered in a house where they had Moose, too. Moose and Marnie were in this big family room when we showed up. We've had lots of "regular" bunnies but this sight was so hard to imagine! They just, like, OWNED the room! A huge presence. Something special, was Marnie!
It *is* all about the anticipation for me. I think God gives me winter just to make it even more joyous when the green returns! :c)
The light increasing makes me think of long bike rides, but those are easily four months away....sigh..
You have an award at my place, if you want it.
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