The vernal or spring equinox is a happy time of year. I think it's worthy of its own celebration -- no wait, it does have one. But that celebration depends on an arcane calendrical reckoning, related to phases of the moon and other such nonsense, whereas the equinox itself depends solely on the earth's position relative to the sun.
I love being outside at 6 a.m. on the day of the equinox (or 7 a.m. according to Daylight Savings Time) and seeing the sun peek over the horizon, down at the end of the east-west street near our home. It's like my own private celebration of the event that really heralds the beginning of spring. If I ever have a house again, I'm gonna build a Stonehenge in my back yard, with markers for the solstices and the equinoces.
So what if it snows after the equinox? Who cares? The daylight hours are rapidly increasing, the flowers and trees are budding, the birds are back in all their joyful cacophony, and the hills (well, the parts that aren't white) are turning green. It's a time of joyful anticipation, hope, and wild hormones.
Happy vernal equinox, everybody.
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Walking the dog in a blizzard
We've needed more snow here. The mountains have gotten enough, but the plains have been dry for most of the winter, and we really need the moisture. The weather service issued a winter storm warning last night, and this morning their prediction finally came true.
A moderate snow was falling at 6:00 a.m. The snow was falling harder at 9:30 a.m., and I passed several cars that had slid off the road on my way home from Fort Collins. I got home at 10:00 a.m. and smiled at the snow that was falling gently, but straight down. I went in the house and put my things away. At 10:08 a.m., I looked outside and saw a blizzard. In those eight minutes, the wind had arrived and the whole world had changed.
At 10:30 a.m. the schools closed and everybody went home. Evening meetings were canceled, and everybody snuggled up in their homes to enjoy a spring blizzard. I grouched about it at first, because it's hard doing my normal job-search activities when the family is at home. But I eventually got into the spirit of things.
This evening, I took dog-ra for his usual constitutional, but I was really into the spirit of things, and decided to do it right. I donned leather hiking boots, wool socks, Swiss military wool pants, Cabela's gaiters, fleece vest, ski jacket, ski gloves, and wool felt wide-brim hat with the built-in unfoldable ear flaps. I was warm and dry the whole time. The dog just wore his skin.
We were out in the blizzard for a good half hour. First we tromped across a field with um, maybe 10 inches of snow (twice that in the drifts), and then we took to the back roads. Baggy was off his leash most of the time. Post-holing through the deep snow helped to keep me warm. The crystals stinging my face and whirling in the light of the street lamps made it a magical night.
A moderate snow was falling at 6:00 a.m. The snow was falling harder at 9:30 a.m., and I passed several cars that had slid off the road on my way home from Fort Collins. I got home at 10:00 a.m. and smiled at the snow that was falling gently, but straight down. I went in the house and put my things away. At 10:08 a.m., I looked outside and saw a blizzard. In those eight minutes, the wind had arrived and the whole world had changed.
At 10:30 a.m. the schools closed and everybody went home. Evening meetings were canceled, and everybody snuggled up in their homes to enjoy a spring blizzard. I grouched about it at first, because it's hard doing my normal job-search activities when the family is at home. But I eventually got into the spirit of things.
This evening, I took dog-ra for his usual constitutional, but I was really into the spirit of things, and decided to do it right. I donned leather hiking boots, wool socks, Swiss military wool pants, Cabela's gaiters, fleece vest, ski jacket, ski gloves, and wool felt wide-brim hat with the built-in unfoldable ear flaps. I was warm and dry the whole time. The dog just wore his skin.
We were out in the blizzard for a good half hour. First we tromped across a field with um, maybe 10 inches of snow (twice that in the drifts), and then we took to the back roads. Baggy was off his leash most of the time. Post-holing through the deep snow helped to keep me warm. The crystals stinging my face and whirling in the light of the street lamps made it a magical night.
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