When Winter Won't Go Away

This photo of Annie is real, but the idea that she would wear this sweater willingly is not. You might notice her body language. If we could apply a bubble to this one, it wouldn't pass the decency test. When clothing is applied to Annie's furry body, she turns into a statue until it's removed. There are rare exceptions, but the rule is no movement wearing clothing.

And who among us wouldn't wish for her great fur coat these wintry days. As the snow flurries occasionally outside our windows, we're at least grateful for today's sunshine. The thermometer hasn't gotten above freezing at midday and the wind is blowing the trees around outside, but at least there is sun where yesterday there was none.

For those of us accustomed to the mild winters of the Southeast, this has been a most unusual winter. We've certainly not suffered the amazing snowfalls of the Midwest and East Coast from Virginia north, but we've had so much more than usual and it has changed our perception of Southern winters. It's not as if it's not happened in our lifetimes, but simply that it is so rare we remain unprepared and occasionally whiny when it goes on this long.

The birds continue coming to our feeders, but perhaps the wisest of them have gone further South this year, maybe to Florida. But even the Suinshine State has had its uncommon experience of cooler temperatures, so much so that the fruit and vegetable crops have been affected. And, of course, it's doubly unfortunate when this happens because the people who make their living from these crops suffer and later the people who buy what's left of their crops pay more. In this economy, any rise in prices is not good for those who can least afford it.

But on this sunny day as the wind sculptures dance in the breeze, the whitecaps on the lake reflect the sun above and the chimes ring out their windy melody, it's hard to miss the beauty of life around us. When winter won't go away, we focus on these things and Spring seems closer than before.