February 13, 2019: Best part of winter...

...is knowing that it will be over soon.

I don't mind the snow or the cold, even the wind is not that much of a bother, as long as I am home and warm. But having to get somewhere by car in winter weather can be harrowing. The sense of losing control of your driving to the elements is a constant. And having to clear a sidewalk, driveway, or other home area became a real nuisance in the past ten years, until we sold the house and moved into an apartment.

What makes me happy is knowing that we have 'turned the corner' on winter's demise. My turning point is the day that I realize that no matter how big of a blast of winter we might get in the coming weeks, it will not last. Years ago, that turning point in western New York was sometimes as late as Easter. In Maryland, my personal, subjective turning point for winter is February 1. So the recent wintry assault has been relatively mild and short-lived. I see flurries in the forecast two or three times in the next fifteen days, but noting serious, maybe an inch.

The green of spring is not that far away. The first sign is the arrival of wild daffodils, sighted at some of the most unexpected places, but always a sure sign of spring.

3158 East Church Street