Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.
- from "Snow-flakes", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Despite the natural beauty of freshly fallen flakes of snow (oh, alliteration, how you haunt me!) I am quite ready for the arrival of spring. Not the official calendar date that sets aside an otherwise not-very-special day in March, but the concluding curtain call of cold climate (argh!). Freshly-planted seedlings litter the top of my bedroom dresser, housed in makeshift mini greenhouses; gardening tools hide unappreciated in the shed out back of my house; flip flops wait patiently in the closet for a chance to be worn in the sunshine. And yet here it is nearly April, and Northwest Ohio is fending off the last remnants of winter. I'm eager to dig in the dirt and plant seeds. Heck, I just want to get outside in the fresh air and feel the warmth of the sunshine. Waking up yesterday to find snow on the ground (as well as everywhere else) was not exactly what I had in mind. Waiting awhile for the winter weather to weaken and wain (sorry, couldn't resist) is a horrible substitute for a hobby. In just over a month the spring semester at Owens will be finished, and with final exams behind me, I plan on spending two weeks away from the stress of work. Two weeks of gardening, fishing, and reading books, with lots of naps and sipping tea scattered throughout; two weeks of relaxation that will be well worth the wait.
- from "Snow-flakes", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Despite the natural beauty of freshly fallen flakes of snow (oh, alliteration, how you haunt me!) I am quite ready for the arrival of spring. Not the official calendar date that sets aside an otherwise not-very-special day in March, but the concluding curtain call of cold climate (argh!). Freshly-planted seedlings litter the top of my bedroom dresser, housed in makeshift mini greenhouses; gardening tools hide unappreciated in the shed out back of my house; flip flops wait patiently in the closet for a chance to be worn in the sunshine. And yet here it is nearly April, and Northwest Ohio is fending off the last remnants of winter. I'm eager to dig in the dirt and plant seeds. Heck, I just want to get outside in the fresh air and feel the warmth of the sunshine. Waking up yesterday to find snow on the ground (as well as everywhere else) was not exactly what I had in mind. Waiting awhile for the winter weather to weaken and wain (sorry, couldn't resist) is a horrible substitute for a hobby. In just over a month the spring semester at Owens will be finished, and with final exams behind me, I plan on spending two weeks away from the stress of work. Two weeks of gardening, fishing, and reading books, with lots of naps and sipping tea scattered throughout; two weeks of relaxation that will be well worth the wait.
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