When speaking about the genesis of his song “Here Comes the Sun”, George Harrison said, “It seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the time spring comes you really deserve it.” The same can be said for Ottawa, especially this year. We had our first snowfall in November, and it just kept coming in record numbers. We’d clean up from one storm and another would come along. Add in frigid temperatures, and it was no wonder so many Ottawans wanted to hibernate. We cheered when Wiarton Willie, the famous Ontario prognosticator, predicted an early spring, but it seemed like a distant dream.
Even in the past few weeks, as the Sun has gotten warmer, and stronger, the cold temperatures have continued. It’s the time of year when you bundle up, and then overheat when you get indoors because the heat’s still cranked up. Or, you’re fooled by the warm sunlight and take your gloves off, and then the cold breeze comes along and forces you to put them back on.
Although I haven’t been posting much this winter, I haven’t been a sluggard with my writing. I finished my first novella in January, and while it didn’t get picked up in the call for submissions, I’m still proud of myself that I actually saw it through to the end. I’m currently working on a more sscience-fiction-type book that I’d started a number of years ago. It’s all very rough, but I’m having fun working my way through the story.
Since the start of Lent earlier this month, I’ve been journaling my day. Someone had mentioned the “roses and thorns” method, so I’ve adapted that a bit. I make a note of the weather and the big news story of the day. Then I outline my “roses” (good things that happened), “thorns” (bad or at least not-so-great things), and “buds” (things in progress). I haven’t missed a day yet, and I hope it’ll help me keep track of things. I just hope I haven’t jinxed myself!
I’ve also been participating in POPSUGAR’s 2019 Reading Challenge as a way to expand my bedtime reading. Every time I finish a book, I post a photo of the book and a description to both my Instagram account and my Facebook page, so check them out. You may find something you’ll want to read for yourself!
And at last, today is the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere, which means that (astronomical) spring is finally here. 12 hours of day, 12 hours of night. The Sun is back, baby.
Ol’ Helios has his work cut out for him. It will take a lot of work to melt the snow and ice covering our lawns and fields. And then everything will be as bedraggled as a dog straight out of the bathtub. Lord knows when we’ll start to see the first flowers or leaves.
But the cardinals are singing in the morning, marking their territory. The starlings and the herring gulls are back. You know it’s been a long cold lonely winter when you’re glad to see the pests back! People seem to be a bit more light-hearted, almost as if we’ve has ice in our hearts that is now slowly melting too.
It may snow tomorrow. It may snow the next day. (I’m not being a Cassandra, it’s in the forecast) But it’s all right.