I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that in all my 76 years, I cannot remember such a long and brutal cold spell. For the last 10 days it has not only been below freezing here in upstate New York, but it has also been well below zero during the overnight, with wind chills as low as -34! I fear the poor groundhog has been getting all the blame for this terrible winter which is so unfair if you really think about it. After all, there he is, all tucked up warm and waiting out the winter, and some strange humans yank him out of his home into the bitter cold and flash all kinds of lights in his face while cheering loudly. Would you be inclined to give them a positive forecast? I think not. Besides, even the groundhog knows that in this neck of the woods, winter is going to hang on until April or May regardless of what he tells you. If you're not happy with the forecast, take it up with Mother Nature!
Thankfully we have something coming up this week that will hopefully take out minds off of the cold - Valentine's Day. Hearts are on display in all the stores, candy makers are working overtime, and flowers are flowing again, if not in our gardens, then certainly via mail and floral deliveries. The snow may be refusing to melt outside, but inside we can warm our hearts with the sight and smell of roses, and spring bouquets. In other parts of the country and places like Ireland and England, snowdrops (the flower, not the actual snow), are poking their heads up through the wet ground, tiny green shoots are as well, promising that daffodils and crocus are on their way. When the winds change from bitter cold to warmth again, our hearts and our gardens will feel the warmth again as well.
So, I've decided to write a letter to Punxsutawney Phil to apologize on behalf of "those" humans for blaming him for our bitter weather, and for disturbing him. Maybe if we send him a basket of dandelion greens and clover for Easter, he'll be kinder to us next year. Hey, it's worth a shot, right?
And so it is.
