Who'd ever have imagined that I'd
spend a March afternoon basking
in the sun in central Montana. It's
been rather mild since January here
in the middle of no where. I must
admit that I'm rather enjoying this
unexpected winter vacation. With
daily temps hitting the sixties, one
can be lulled into a sense of false
spring fever. So while it may seem
that spring has arrived, a blizzard
is certain to be on the horizon. All
one can do is savor the moment.
The local rule of green thumb is to
plant nothing of any consequence
outside until post Mother's Day. Yet
that's hard to remember when out in
the sun getting a tan prior to Saint
Pat's. All good things must come to
an end and hence this brief interlude
will soon be over. That doesn't mean
one can't take advantage of global
warming. Hence Frank's been out
cleaning up the yard, green house,
and garden. All in anticipation of
true start of our spring season.
We all want something we can't have.
When Mother Nature plays a short
term trick on us, many take the bait
hook, line and sinker. It's amazing to
see the plethora of pasty northerners
donning shorts once the thermometer
hits fifty. Then just as suddenly they
are shoveling snow in a parka. If one
has foolishly flipped their frocks to
spring mode... it's easy to look like
a fruit salad in Antarctica. Totally out
of context. Therefore it's important
to keep everything in context.
Trying to force anything beyond
bulbs is invariably for naught. It
can suddenly all change. Target
just laid off seventeen hundred
of their corporate staff. Like pets
their Pavlovian response is most
likely to immediately search for
a new master. Leaping from the
corporate skillet into a baptism
of fire only burns. We all need
time to clear our heads. Hence
purgatory may be a blessing. So
why not stop and sniff a rose?
There are no guarantees. Much like
weathermen, our forecasts are most
often wrong. One can't change their
final destination on life's journey -
yet can easily alter their itinerary
along the way. So even if it's only
a spring break, why not plant some
seeds and watch them grow? Much
like Jack and his beanstalk, they
may take you to places you never
imagined. Rather than wallow in
a winter of discontent, dig deeper
and spring forward! Get growing!