And two differing views
To the Expositor:
Inclement weather is on its way out.
Over the years I’ve heard more than a few people express loathing for the late weeks of winter and a deep longing for spring. They’ve just had it. The cold, the dark, the residential Olympics of getting the garbage to the curb on icy days.
I do understand this line of thinking, however I’ve developed an appreciation of this last act of Nordic theatre. The pink hued, afternoon sunlight framing the birch trees is warm on the face. Thick ice and snow still abound. Great conditions to enjoy nature’s playground for those inclined.
I’ve also learned to consider the audience that I’m sharing this view with, lest they get that look in their eye that they are considering contacting the authorities and having two guys dressed in white with a big net come drag me away for my own good.
Recently, there was a small island of icy snow on a shady part of our lawn near our driveway. The barnyard scientist in me became interested in how many days it would take for this to disappear. Did I get attached to it? No, I’m not that crazy, but I was sort of cheering it on as the underdog. I had picked up my wife from the office and absent mindedly noticed she was looking at something as we pulled up to our house and paused before getting out of the car. Very shortly afterwards, from inside the house, I could hear the clanging and scraping of steel. Looking out the window I saw quite a sight. My courtly and gentle-minded wife was having absolutely no truck with this hapless remnant of cold. Crushing it with her boots and flattening it with a shovel, with the obvious sentiment of “die snow, die”!
Two views of winter and I shall keep an eye on her from this point on, when she has a garden implement in her hand.
Douglas Miller
Sudbury
