Winter

It seems that around here we're on track for the 6th warmest winter ever. And with news like that, you'd think I'd be hip-hip-hooraying or engaged in some other sort of celebrating. But I'm not. Why? Well, because it's still winter. And, yes, temps of 39 or 40 or 45 are really mild for this time of year, and those kinds of temps are definitely better than, say, 20 or 0 or -10, but it's still winter. The grass is still brown and dormant, the trees are still leafless (though they all are sporting new buds, have been for several weeks, in fact, which is WAY too early and makes me wonder what will happen to the tender shoots when the inevitable hammer of winter falls), and the gray days still far outnumber the blue ones. Maybe spending the few extra dollars in my pocket as a result of this season's heating bills being less than last year's bills would be a good way to mark this record-setting year. But I probably won't. Why? Well, because -- say it with me -- it's still winter. Bleh.

February.

For being the shortest month of the year, I sure seem to have a hard time getting through it. If I were to look back at posts made around this time last year or the year before, I'm sure I'd find similar rants against winter, against the cold, sunless days in general. Even though I've lived up "north" for more years than I care to count, I'm still a Southern girl at heart. I need sun. I need warmth. I need spring flowers poking up through the soil, our arms joined and raised skyward heralding the end of winter.

When will we see spring around here? March? April? Yes, sometime in April. Too many weeks away to count.

It's clear that I live in the wrong part of the country.

Spring?

Two noteworthy things are happening simultaneously here in my neck of the woods: the weatherman has forecast sunny conditions for 4 - count 'em: one, two, three, four! - days in a row (today is day 3) AND the temperature is supposed to hit 60 degrees today.

First, the sun: For everyone living just about anywhere but here it seems, opening your drapes on any given morning and seeing the sun is a normal experience. Not so in sunless Wisconsin. A month or two ago, during the deep dark days of winter, I counted 3 days of sun in a 14-day period.

Second, the temperatures: Yesterday it was in the mid-50's; teenagers were wearing shorts and flip-flops. That might be pushing it, but 60 degrees in mid-March is a wonderful thing, especially given that the average around here is 44 degrees. With 4 days of sunshine and temps in the low 60's it's easy to think spring is here. But, really, this is Wisconsin. Who am I kidding?