Happy vernal equinox, everyone. The day and night having been nearly equal, now the days will start inching longer and longer until we reach the longest day, the first day of summer in June. As usual, March is showing its temperamental side, parts of the nation having a snowstorm, parts, especially Alabama, hard-hit by a tornado.
Some things are beyond our control and, actually, I’m glad. The weather is one of them. If we could control the weather, just imagine it. One person would want rain; another, sun. One would order snow and the next person would prefer autumn. We’ve had some mini-ice ages in the past and in those times, people couldn’t grow food; people starved, and it was not a happy occasion.
I’ve read that the sun is acting up again. Solar flares are responsible for a lot of things and it’s interesting to read what they may be doing to technology and, actually, to us humans. They don’t seem to have bothered my neighbor’s tulip tree. It is gorgeous.
A lot can happen in five years. I thought you might enjoy this post from March 2013. In the meantime, I’m going to pour another cup of coffee.
The calendar showed yesterday was the first day of spring. If seeing is believing, then I’m not believing. It felt like winter to me and, lo and behold! We are forecast to have a wintry mix today and Friday; maybe into the weekend. All those early little flowers had better tuck back into their beds and cover their heads with last fall’s leaves ’cause it’s not going to be fit weather for eager bloomers.
I remember another cold spring; it was actually April instead of March. Mom and I were standing at my patio door looking out at snow which was blowing in with a strong north wind. Warm weather seemed lodged somewhere far to the south that April day. Then we saw two small birds, flying against the wind and driving snow, winging their way toward the house. They were midnight blue above and burnt orange below. We didn’t know what they were at the time but later discovered they were barn swallows. Those fragile birds flew with one thing in mind–to reach our carport. Two tiny tufts of feathers and bone daring to challenge an Oklahoma snowstorm? Oh yes. They flew with a purpose and a destination in mind. They darted around the corner of the house, zipped into the carport and dropped onto a high crosspiece. They had won.
I’ve thought often about those birds. They braved great odds: a freak snowstorm when the weather was supposed to be warm, a mean wind that tried to drive them back from whence they had come. Yet, they didn’t give up. They battled on. What a lesson for us. In spite of seeming impossibilities, with faith in God and a lot of determination we can reach our goals. Things will get better and springtime will arrive.
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