The winds howled last night while the March Peepers sang their little hearts out. Daffodils have broken through the ground, yellow tips ready to break out into bud soon. Birds gather round the feeder, badly in need of some good meals to help them through the winter. It has been warm but there’s snow in the forecast and a chill in the air again.
That’s March in Ohio for you. Change is always on the horizon so don’t get too comfortable in whatever combination of heavy coat/shorts, boots/ flip flops/hoodie you chose for today.
It will change.
Now that Spring is near, we can revisit the old saying: March winds and April showers bring May flowers.
And for today, we won’t discuss the grass and weeds that will soon follow all those pretty spring blooms!
The transition of winter into spring is the hardest seasonal transition for me. It’s no secret that I have learned to appreciate winter or that I truly enjoy the aspects of the season so many view as hardships.
Southern Ohio today is enjoying what I like to call Stage I Fool’s Spring. It looks nice but the air still has a bite.
From where I sit, warm light streams through the window, casting sprays of light ideal for a little black cat’s peaceful sleep. He’s luxuriating in a large sunny spot right now. The sky is blue and birds abound. Pine trees sway in a slight breeze. It looks like a beautiful, warm day.
In reality, it’s 26 degrees at this moment and less hospitable outside than here on the couch. But if you dare to go outside for a lungful of clean air, you might find that early spring bulbs are pushing through the ground. The March Peepers I so enjoy gave their first nightly chorus on Friday. These little frogs are the brave souls who are the traditional harbingers of spring year after year but their February 28 appearance seemed early.
These things are all lovely.
But I truly like the snow and cold and, as I muck through my muddy back yard to reach the birdfeeders, I wonder if I have seen my last snowfall for the year. There’s an old wive’s tale there will be three more snows after the forsythia blooms but those snows could be mere flurries.
The sense that earth is beginning to warm and the days are growing longer makes me feel anxious. After all, what is to come will be miserably hot and humid. Summer in Ohio is just sticky and gross and it drags on for months. Spring here lasts for a short time as summer crowds in a little earlier than it ought to and hangs on later every year.
For those of us who sunburn and who don’t breathe well in humid conditions, this is not a time for celebration. It’s a time for planning to be outside early and late and for indoor time during midday.
I would never survive life in the south where I know conditions are even worse. Yes, yes. I know I sound weird and pathetic but it’s a true problem that seems to worsen as I age.
After years of being berated and bullied for my seasonal preferences by people who suffer Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it turns out I’m neither alone nor an anomaly.
There is such a thing as Summer SAD. Just like Winter SAD, symptoms include irritability, suicidal thoughts, sadness and insomnia.
Who knew?
Little research has been directed to Summer SAD and tips I’ve read for how to cope are more or less useless. Yet, there’s something reassuring about knowing I’m not just a weirdo.
It’s time to begin brainstorming and making lists of ways to tolerate (and hopefully enjoy) what’s ahead. Do you struggle with symptoms of Summer SAD? I would love to hear about your experiences and tips.
It felt like fall when we hiked near home in the Hocking Hills of Ohio last night. Breezy and cool with occasional pops of color in the quiet woods made for perfect conditions.
I wouldn’t hate summer so much if it were more like this!
We all know this is Fool’s Fall. Summer will return with a vengeance on Saturday and I will be angry again. But I’ll enjoy this respite while it lasts and will look forward to the real deal in a few weeks.
It’s Wednesday, friends. Try to make it a good one!
The overnight temperature on my ridgetop dropped to 59 degrees overnight. I don’t care if it is still hot during the day: it’s time to start gathering up the fall movies and books, begin working on indoor decor for fall and to embrace pumpkin spice and everything nice.
Call it jumping the gun if you will but it is time for change.
Friends, I am tired. I’m tired of being hot. I’m sick of summer blockbusters at the movie theater. I’m over my summer wardrobe and I’ve had enough of poison ivy and bugs.
I’m over it all and ready to move forward into a season where the sun doesn’t hurt your skin and where the humidity doesn’t take your breath away. I’m ready for boots and comfy sweaters. I’ll take When Harry Met Sally with a side of potato soup and some homemade cookies, please.
Friends, I want to be cold and then I want to curl up with a soft, fuzzy blanket and be warm and happy. I want to sniff cinnamon while reading an Alice Hoffman book with her patented mystic style and beautiful prose. I want to stomp through a pile of fallen leaves.
To be clear, I understand that it’s still summer and that we will be punished by summer’s heat for a while longer (like a month and a half longer).
I understand that it’s too early for blankets and pumpkins but that’s ok because my mental health says it’s time.
If summer is your thing, I hope you go stand outside and soak in all the heat you can absorb. Treat yourself to a slushie and chase those lightning bugs. Live it up!
Meanwhile, I’ll be admiring my scarves and pulling out fall decor!
A word to the wise though. As we approach fall, please remember the infamous words of Linus in the classic cartoon It’s A Great PumpkinCharlie Brown.
Summer began yesterday but the heat arrived early and has been wailing on us for a while now here in southern Ohio. In case you’re new here, I’m not a fan of this season where I live.
I like how green everything is and the act of discovery every day when I check the progress of my flowers is rewarding. I like not worrying so much about how the weather will impact my travels. My wardrobe of summer dresses makes me happy because they’re comfortable and cool. Baby animals, turtles and butterflies make life more interesting. There are lots of events and car shows throughout the season so there’s a lot of free entertainment at our fingertips.
This is all great. The rest of it kind of stinks.
The heat and humidity here make it hard to go outside and enjoy any of those things I mentioned. Then there are the bugs and snakes. And poison ivy, allergies and the endlessly wasteful act of mowing. Plus, summer clothes are ugly and I really hate seeing everyone’s bare feet. The sight of toes in a flip flop makes me cringe. Did I mention that we spend most of our time running from one air conditioned place to the next just to survive?
It’s literally the worst season in Ohio. Next to orange season, of course. That’s when the Ohio Department of Transportation exhibits every orange barrel and cone they own along miles and miles of Ohio’s roads. This season runs approximately from mid-March through Christmas and is nearly pointless but does brighten the roadways, I suppose.
By the way, I never complain about winter so I have license to complain about summer.
I had Juneteenth off from work and a day free to do as I pleased. While I contemplated going out for a midweek adventure, my desire to beat the heat index and be cool won out. With temperatures in the mid nineties and a heat index over 100, I just couldn’t volunteer to leave the house for any reason.
Instead, we stayed inside with the central air on and curtains drawn, watching movies and eating cold things. It was the most relaxing day I’ve had in ages.
The summer solstice has come and gone and now we begin to see every day lose just a little light. While I despise the weather, I better get busy with some adventures. After all, if we wait for perfect conditions to do the things we enjoy, we may never get anything done. We have to make the best of our circumstances and try to enjoy life anyway!
We had a series of thunderstorms Wednesday night that caused flash flooding in my community. The next morning I awoke to a bright, crisp sunrise. On this morning after the storm, raindrops were collected on the leaves and flower petals of plants beaten down with relentless force. Don’t worry. These plants will recover.
The storms came in waves Wednesday, each one stronger than the one before. It was a hot 87 degree day, significantly warmer than Ohio ought to be in mid April. Before it began, strong winds blew open a shed door. After we secured the shed, the wind suddenly slowed and gave us a moment to explore new developments around my yard before large raindrops began to fall. The old dogwood had bloomed and a nearby rhododendron is now loaded with large buds.
It was almost magical when Adam and I simultaneously spotted blooms on the lilac bush. This was special because it was a start that my dad retrieved for me from an enormous lilac in my grandparents’ old yard. One of Grandma’s lilac blooms now occupies the center of my kitchen table, giving off a spectacular fragrance.
On this morning, puddles of water reflected a radiant rising sun. Things seemed cleaner and greener. The proverbial fresh start promised each year by this season we call Spring has finally been delivered. The birds know it too and they pass the word. Through the open windows of my house on the hill, whistles and chickadee dee dees came from all around. A distant mourning dove quietly reminded me that there will be another storm to weather on another day.
In that moment, I rejoiced in the light and air and the sights, sounds and textures of Spring. She had arrived bearing gifts but her stay will be brief as the unforgivingly humid and volatile Summer will soon move in, leaving these sweet, cool mornings a mere memory.
After waxing poetic over the beauty of my morning, I heard from Adam whose night and day had been marred by flash flooding damage. Sadly, lots of people woke up yesterday morning to flood damage and clean up projects that will keep them busy for a long time. Spring can be just as temperamental and volatile as any other season, particularly where water is concerned.
This just goes to show that what is an inspiring fresh start for me on the ridge can be a discouraging event for those who live in the valley.
As humans, we are created equally. Unfortunately, our events and our lives are not all the same. We don’t have the same experiences and we don’t all start from the same place. That’s easy to forget but important to remember. Let’s try doing that.
