January Spring

I’m a self-proclaimed optimist. With that said, I needed to find the silver lining in the warm weather. So on the bright side, I realized I didn’t have to look too hard to find it, and I found it three-fold.

Reason 1: Saves on wood. Was I worried about runnng out of split wood this winter? Not any more! I have to stoke the stove modestly two or three times a day. 43 degrees you’re predicting, Mr. Weatherman? I just might not stoke it at all!

Reason 2: Bike rides. I rode my two-wheeled apparatus to school twice this week. Why? Because I can. I don’t know if I do it more for the exercise or to hear the kids ask, “What? You rode your bike today?” They are both fun reasons. Highway 41 is really quite lovely for a ride right now. I bit on the splashy side, but at least I won’t slip on the ice and break my neck or get stuck in the, e-hem, snow.

Reason 3: Sunshine!!! I really can’t deny the sun to shine on my face any day of the winter. We see it so seldom that sometimes I think we forget it’s out there behind those thick, dark, constantly looming, gray clouds. Seeing the sun peek through for even a moment makes me rush outside and throw my hands and face to it. Man, does that feel good. And the, e-hem, warmer weather, makes it especially pleasant.

So there. I said it. I love the warm in January. Did you hear that, Snow? I don’t need your stinkin white fluffiness! I’ll just ride my bike and bask in the sunshine. Yeah. That’s what I’ll do all winter long if I have to. So just stay where ever you are and don’t worry about the Keweenaw.

Let’s see if my reverse psychology works. I sure didn’t get anywhere by begging earlier.

On a happy note, the other day I ran out to the sunshine, and the only spot I could be in it was on the ice shore. I call it an ice shore because I’m not really sure where the shore ends and where the ice sticking out over the water begins. But that was the first day the sun came out to say Hello, so I didn’t care if I had to run in the house with a wet boot. I was going to sit in the sun.

It was simply marvelous -- warming and healing. And what made it so wonderful that I could have died there happily, was that I got so sit next to a harbor full of floating ice pieces. They made the only sound I could hear: Swish, swash, swish, swash, swish, swash, splash, swash. And there I stood on the ice shore in the sunshine meditating on their breathing. It was simply another magic moment in da Harbor that I wish you could have been there for. I hope you could feel it just a little bit.