Winter - I'm Over it!

When Punxsutawny Phil, famous groundhog and prognosticator of winter weather, declared that he had seen his shadow and we would have eight more weeks of cold, wet, snowiness, I sighed. I am sure I was not alone - anyone ready for some spring sunshine? Even though it was muddy and windy last weekend I took my bike, (the pedal kind,) to one of our local trails and rode twelve miles until my legs were numb. When I got home I looked at the five-day forecast and, sure enough, there was snow predicted for this week. UGH! I’m over it! One day its freezing cold and the next it’s unseasonably warm and the tornado sirens are going off.

I’m ready to get out the potting soil and start cleaning up my garden ready for some spring planting. I’m ready for the farmer’s markets to start back up with spring vegetables for sale. I’m ready to wear a green t-shirt on St. Patrick’s Day, not a green down coat! The trees and plants are confused; I see buds on my dogwoods but I’m afraid they will get frozen before the last days of winter leave us. I know I’m going on about the weather, but it seems to be part of everyone’s conversation this year. Don’t get me wrong, I love the seasonal changes and enjoy the cold weather for a few months. But this year it feels as if it started early and has gone on too long. I want winter to be over!

There was an interesting discussion on global warming on one of the Sunday talk shows recently. The expert pointed out that global warming doesn't mean that the weather will just get hotter. He said that it really meant weather extremes would increase and become more commonplace: The cold of winter would be more severe and the heat of summer more intense. So, perhaps this year’s weather is indicative of our current weather pattern? It’s not just here in southern Illinois that the weather has been severe. Droughts in California and floods in the United Kingdom are just some of the examples. Unseasonably warm weather at the winter Olympics and records snow falls in parts of the Midwest and the east coast. When spring does get here I plan to enjoy it to the fullest as I have a sneaky feeling summer will be upon us before we are ready for it.

Maybe the best thing we can do is just start acting as if its spring - time to step into the local boutique and check out this year’s spring sandals and Easter dresses. Maybe I'll get a pedicure and  new hair color to shake off the winter blues! Or perhaps it’s time to forget the chili and make a big fresh salad instead. Because whether we have spring weather or not, spring events and activities are starting up all around us. Time to sign up for softball and plan spring break trips to the beach! Definitely time to shave my legs!