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Monday, May 9, 2016

Snowbirds Have it Right



Back at the beginning of March, when we took a whirl-wind trip down south where nubs of green had already started to weigh down the trees, the trip gave us a two-day respite from our end-of-winter drearies.  It seemed to me then that once we returned home, it would only take a few weeks before we’d celebrate our own spring.  Well, that little field trip was two months ago now, and after experiencing one of the coldest April’s on record, let’s just say I’m a tad impatient.  

I suppose, it doesn’t help that every phone call from our daughter who’s on internship in South Carolina begins with a weather report.  “It’s seventy-five and sunny, Mum,” or “Mid-eighties, today.  I’m so hot!”   To be fair, she’s working in an un-air conditioned kitchen right now, so hot for her is the real deal.  But hearing her, I have to swallow hard, since I’m still wearing my Ugg boots in the house, and the heat that goes on automatically when things drop below 62 degrees inside is blasting each morning when I wake up.  Over the past week, we went from Saturday to Sunday with overcast skies at best, driving rain at the worst.  Oh, Seattle folks, I don’t know how you do it.  This weather is causing me to take on curmudgeon tendencies. 

About ten days ago, filled with optimism, I made up some nectar and hung up the hummingbird feeder.  In case you didn’t know, hummingbirds live about five years, and they have memory.  Over the last several springs, they’ve hovered at my family room window BEFORE I put the feeder up right outside of it for the season.  This year, I decided to beat them, but I’m still waiting.  I don’t know what they do when it’s this cold, but in spite of migration charts that show they’ve made it this far north, I haven’t seen a one.  Outside my rain-specked window, the fresh blooms of the early rhodies are drooping, the ground cover phlox has been beaten down, and when I went out during a respite in the showers yesterday, I found a mouse drowned on our new patio.

Boring weather post?  Yes, I guess.  But I’m from New England, where complaining about the weather is an art-form.  And then there’s this.  I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that all this rain is my fault.  I did after all, hang up the hummingbird feeder.  And if that wasn’t enough to tempt fate, last weekend, in between showers, I washed windows.  I rest my case

9 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Washing the windows did it for sure.
We're definitely into spring here, although the last six months have seen a ton of rain. I washed my car yesterday, almost guaranteeing it will rain today.
Your daughter has no AC? She's going to melt this summer.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

We have had 12 days of rain and colder temps than usual. The sun finally came out yesterday and we all rejoiced. It looks like temperatures are rising and warmth is coming your way.

mshatch said...

I hear you, Liza! After the mild winter I was expecting/hoping for an early spring but boy is it taking its sweet time getting here.

Joanne said...

washing windows or the car guarantees rain. You may kvetch now about the weather, I claim dibs on kvetching on day ninety of over 100 degrees in the summer in TX. We've got the year covered!! Take care and I'll send some sun your way

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Liza - you can't have the last word on weather .. that belongs to the Brits - always!! We've had one week of good weather ... now we're sinking back to rain and cold - 'tis England ..

Enjoy it when the summer comes - and that does sound cold - Ugg boots and heating blasting out .. cheers Hilary

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

The rain here in the northeast last week was endless and depressing. We actually saw the sun a few hours this morning and not it's gone for the rest of the week. I hope it doesn't rain in your neck of the woods next weekend as I'm coming to Boston for my daughter's graduation.

Connie said...

You see this is exactly why I hate washing windows--it always brings rain. :) I hope the sunshine and warmer temperatures return for you soon. All that cold and rain would wear me down too. We haven't decided for sure, but we are considering moving to South Carolina once we retire. I love it there.

glnroz said...

Our spring here has been unusually "spring-lie". It seems most years it goes from a snowstorm, (see post on my website) to blazing summer within a week or shorter. Ms. Liza, it is always spring on you blog. Thanks for the many stories you share. Keep'em coming our way. Glenn...

Pixel Peeper said...

I'll gladly take some of your chilly weather and rain, if you'll take some of our heat and humidity. What do you say, we'll swap about 20 degrees? It was 91ยบ here today...

I'll let you keep the drowned mouse. :-)