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Monday, March 26, 2012

Seesaw

When I pulled into the beach lot last week to parking spaces filled two rows back, and looked out to bright umbrellas and clumps of toddlers rushing into the water, it was as if someone had snatched me up and delivered me far south, to Georgia, perhaps, or even Florida.

I’m afraid that blogging about the weather demonstrates a dreary lack of imagination.  Even as I type these words, I’m saying to myself: “Can’t you do any better, Liza?” but I wish I could explain to those not from New England what it is like to experience a weather reprieve.
 
Yes, the calendar has just flipped to spring, but here in Massachusetts, most years that means, well, nothing.  Far into April we dress in our woolies, wear boots, cross our fingers and hope for stretches like we experienced last week, in about two months’ time.  We know—we just know what can happen—so our snow blowers and shovels remain parked at the ready until mid-April.  Even then, we put them away with a twinge of worry that doing so will guarantee a late season blizzard.  We never, ever expect a bounty like one we received last week—temperatures in the mid 70’s to 80’s for six days.  There were no leaves on the trees, for gosh sakes.
 
So, when the weather heated up, we skipped our chores, pulled out the beach towels, stepped into bathing suits and stopped at the ice cream parlor before burrowing winter white toes into the warm sand—because we were obliged to. It’s still March and the weather was a million dollar bonus that arrived with a ticking time clock.  We know, here in New England, how to appreciate a gift.

Sitting on a boulder at the edge of the beach on Thursday, I closed my eyes and channeled summer in the squeals of the kids in the frigid water, the quiet lap of the placid waves, the breeze tugging at the hair curling below my baseball cap.  A string of little girls excused themselves politely as they hopped the boulders lining the back of the beach, stepping carefully around the flip-flops I’d parked on the rock in front of me.  Seagulls, as bold as they are mid-summer, dove for scraps of food from unattended bags.  Laughter and weightlessness surrounded me, a collective exhale after the release of a long held burden.  

And, then, as we knew it would, the alarm clock sounded.  

Our skin, our bones, and everything at the heart of things felt the slightest bit lighter when we yanked on our fleece coats and returned to life as normal, once the weekend the temperatures dropped back to a seasonal mid 40’s.  

18 comments:

Old Kitty said...

There's a mini-heatwave here too!! It's so unusual!! I wish I lived near the beach though!!! But even if we do need rain - I sort of really like the warmth!

Take care
x

Bish Denham said...

Yes, one must take advantage of warm sunny days when Old Man Winter could still have a few more icy breaths left in him. We've finally got some rain here in Texas. But we need LOTS more. It's been so mild here, there's concern the summer will be another hot dry one.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

As the kids around here say, "I feel ya."
Reached 80 here in Ohio all week. Going down to 20 tonight.
It was nice while it lasted, right? *sigh

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You had a week of perfect weather though!
And we never even had a hint of snow here this past winter.

Claire Dawn said...

I lived in Connecticut for 2 years, so I understand.

Sadly, the weather in North Japan is even crazier. It flips back and forth between winter and spring. One year, it warmed up to the point that the Cherry Blossoms bloomed. And then it snowed on them!

Been known to snow in June in these here parts.

Words A Day said...

We've a had two days of mild warmth, (otherwise known as a heat wave around here!) so I know what you mean:) Just to feel the sun, no matter how weak, on our skin is wonderful:)

Mina Burrows said...

My BFF is from Cohasset. She just told me she had to pull out a few of her winter clothes for the weekend. Bummer! Good thing Summer's 'round the corner! :)

J.B. Chicoine said...

Yeah, we had a lovely reprieve her in MI, too, but last night we had a frost, so I guess it's back to the norm. Let's just hope we don't get snow here, which of course means we'll be sending it your way :(

Robin said...

All I could think about while I read this post was you lying in your driveway to really soak the heat up off the pavement. Does this make me a terrible person????

Colette Martin said...

Ahhh, I understand!

Lydia Kang said...

You really bring us right there with you in these posts. Thanks Liza!

Carol Kilgore said...

I'm glad you enjoyed your taste of Texas weather :)

mshatch said...

and here I am in Sunny Florida, missing all that great weather. Maybe it will come back with me :)

Jan Morrison said...

Here in Nova Scotia we had the same thing - mini heat wave - easily as hot as it gets in August - high 20's and now snowing and FREEZING. arghh.
ah well, those of us who are going to Florida in less than two weeks are glad for the wintry weather so we will DESERVE Florida. ha.

Arlee Bird said...

I believe you may have had warmer weather than we did in Los Angeles. I know it wasn't cold by your standards, but I was rather chilled for a couple days.


Lee
Sad Songs Blogfest (I’m a day early I know)
A Faraway View
An A to Z Co-host blog

Claire L. Fishback said...

Here in Colorado we have our snowblowers and shovels out until mid-June! But we have been having BEAUTIFUL weather.

I'm really enjoying reading your blog. Your style of writing is so poetic. It really flows. Love it!

Thank you for stopping by my blog so I would be enticed to experience more of yours!

Clay said...

I enjoy reading your blog: words escape me as to why, but your posts are a refreshing read.

I would blog about the weather here in Sydney but it is relatively uneventful, except the freaky rainy summer we just experienced. Cheers

Sue said...

Please don't apologise about blogging about the weather. It's one of the joys of the blogosphere learning about different weather patterns and conditions around the world.

I also wanted to let you know I mentioned your blog last week during a presentation I made about blogging at our national careers conference. It was in reference to being an inspiring writer and sharing your career journey so openly. My fellow practitioners could really relate and see the value of blogging both personally and to showcase their professional writing skills.

Sue: An A-Z of Climate Matters