It's all rather odd. After a week of warm
temperatures our "heat wave" continues
through at least tomorrow. And while
the weather is beyond lovely in central
Montana - most know better than to be
lulled by this false spring awakening.
Living in an agrarian community means
that if nothing else most of my fellow
denizens are cautious at best. Hence few
are willing to do anything that is even
slightly risky knowing that soon snow
and colder temperatures will prevail.
And so... we must wait... and wait...
At least in theory we should be able
to open our windows. Sadly that's
really not feasible unless you want
to up a mess. One must remember
that once one drives to the edge of
town this truly is still the wild west.
Surrounded by miles upon miles of
open range it can get rather dusty
around these here parts. Layer on
top of that the layer of gravel and
sand that covers every street post
snow. Hence whenever the wind
picks up, it's best to run for cover.
Therefore keeping things up is a
constant battle. It's not unusual for
us to shift up or down ten to fifty
degrees within a day. Combating
that climatic roller coaster is tough
on the land, people, and everything
else. It's no wonder that some folks
give up and allow Mother Nature
to take over. Sadly most local
abodes are either peeling hulks or
utilitarian tin boxes. But why does
practicality have to be so ugly?
Have we lost all sense of pretty?
Frank's pet peeve is the pavement.
Recently the street sweeper swept
our main thoroughfare to the north.
Given it may be months before it
hits the street in front of our home,
he spent an afternoon sweeping the
macadam. If only everyone would
do the same thing. Soon our warm
winds might carry a whiff of spring
versus a nose full of dried dung.
How ever did we two city slickers
get swept into a sea of slackers?
Are we the only ones who care?
In the old days locals took pride in
their homes and community. Each
morning merchants washed shop
windows and hosed sidewalks. As
the warm winds waft across our
downtown - Lewistown resembles
Riyadh in a sand storm. The lot at
our grocer lot is so covered with
dirt that it's hard to park between
the lines given you can't see them.
Rather than clean up their act -
it's every man, woman, and tot
for themselves! Buyer beware!
The past days I've pulled out several
spring shoes to brighten my way.
However exposing Hermes orange
and bold blue suede to the elements
is risky at best. While it may seem
foolish here - foolhardy fashion is
equally out of place in Manhattan.
The transition from winter to spring
is a dirty business everywhere. I've
ruined a new pair or two along their
first foray down Fifth Avenue. My
advice is tread lightly and carry an
extra pair of galoshes in your bag.
It's hard not to be impatient. After
months in hibernation everyone is
peeking out and hoping it's almost
over. Yet I'm fairly certain that our
temporary warmup will quickly be
deferred by a frigid reminder that
springtime in Montana is sleeting
at best. While it may be depressing
to look down at the dirty pavement,
all one has to do is look up at our
clear blue big skies and mountains.
Their beauty is absolutely certain
to put a spring to your step!