Hibernal Journal: Week 12

Change long-awaited is especially warmly greeted if it shows up early.

Sunday, 03/09/2025:

Sunrise was at 7:07 a.m., under clear skies with a slight breeze, and the temperature was 26°, with a "feels-like" temperature of 19°. The sunset will occur at 6:45.

It was another brisk start to the day, but clear skies suggest that once the Sun's all the way up, it will at least "feel" a little warmer. The anticipation of warmer climes ahead is heightened further because of the clocks being set ahead overnight. Poor Alice is all out of sorts with this time change, and because she is my canine alarm clock, she has begun the process of wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule. The very brief snow shower that greeted us first thing in the morning quickly gave way to a beautiful sunny day spent getting the house ready for Emma's return, napping, and enjoying many sustained visits to the front porch, where me and Alice spent a great deal of time watching the world go by in reflective silence just enjoying the Simple Pleasures of good company and fresh air. The Northeast is not famous for sunsets like the ones that take your breath away in the Southwest, but we're happy to take what we're given, and so we did.

Observation of the day:

There is no shame in doing nothing of great importance and finding a great sense of accomplishment in it.

Monday, 03/10/2025:

Sunrise was at 7:06 a.m., under clear skies and still air, and the temperature was 31°. The sunset will occur at 6:45.

Another brisk start to the day promises temperatures in the 50s as things progress ever so slowly toward the end of the winter season. Mondays are always special in the house because the girls have so much to catch up on, having been apart for 2 days, and their enthusiasm for each other's company never fails to recharge my own spiritual Hermit batteries. The forecast on my weather app suggests that every day will start off in the 30s, advance into the 40s and 50s, and retreat back to the 30s by bedtime. Also, there will be more Sun than clouds, suggesting that Winter is readying herself for departure until we meet again in December. Me and the girls will continue to keep her company while she packs, in between our daily naps, and try to enjoy as much of her as possible as these final days pass.

Observation of the day:

While it is true that taking two steps forward and one step back is a damnably slow pace, it is progress all the same.

Tuesday, 03/11/2025:

Sunrise was at 7:05 a.m., under partly cloudy skies and still air, and the temperature was 32°. The sunset will occur at 6:48.

Me and Alice were greeted by partly cloudy skies and a "warm" pre-dawn 32° air temperature. With a warm front having moved in overnight, the smell in the air was noticeably different; I consciously chose to exclude barometric pressure numbers throughout this project, but with so much time dedicated to being outdoors on Winter's terms, up close and personal in her environment, it was easy to notice the change in pressure and smell of moisture in the air. It is noteworthy to point out that the animal kingdom, outside of we Sapiens, instinctively understands the importance of keeping up with changes in the weather because their survival depends on it. Sapiens, on the other hand, are so busy fumbling with their electronic gadgets (like me and that damnable weather app gadget) that we have grown completely ignorant of our own instincts to learn how to coexist more peacefully with whatever she throws our way. Aside from having learned that the true antagonist of the Winter "play" of the season is not the temperature so much as it is the wind, what I have also discovered is that the so-called lower species, such as the winter birds, the mammals that don't hibernate, and even my own dogs are far better equipped to teach us everything we need to know about this season- if only we'd "listen" to them, and our own eyes ears and noses- than we'll ever get from an app on a cell phone.

Observation of the day:

That student of Winter is best who keeps the mouth shut and the eyes, ears, and nose wide open.

Wednesday, 03/12/2025:

Sunrise was at 7:00 a.m., under clear skies and still air, and the temperature was 38°. The sunset will occur at 6:49.

It was a beautiful start to the day, with pre-dawn temperatures just south of 40°, and you could smell in the air that the climate was changing all around us. We could hear the Crows going at it a few blocks to the southwest, and the Sparrows just a little to the north of us had already gotten started with their morning strategy meeting in the shrubs, presumably dividing up who was going to go into which areas in search of human leftovers from the night before. We started hearing Mourning Doves a few days ago, ever so slowly ramping up their volume, telling us that the spring Orchestra members are slowly making their way back to town, making ready for the cacophony of sound that will overtake the bitter cold silence of the last 3 months. I'm reminded of the Disney movie "Bambi" and the character "Friend Owl" as I chuckle quietly to myself about being surrounded by so much twitterpating. Me and the girls, still avoiding the muddy yard as much as possible, enjoyed quite a few trips to the porch throughout the day and lingered there a while as we watched the Setting Sun chasing the Western sky.

Observation of the day:

As Bob Dylan once magically sang, "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Thursday, 03/13/2025:

Sunrise was at 7:02 a.m., under snowy skies and still air, and the temperature was 32°. The sunset will occur at 6:50.

Stepping into a snow shower as we went down into the yard this morning, clearly pleasing Alice and mildly entertaining me, I chuckled at Winter's dwindling influence over how we feel about her work. Having checked the forecast before even going down the steps, I knew that temperatures climbing well above freezing would follow a quick burst of snowflakes. I already knew that this day, and the next, would mark the last of her chilly days and that the worst of her work was all but behind us. Despite knowing that Alice is still trying to sort out human language and voice tones, I took the time to explain to her that the first official day of spring would be coming next week, knowing full well she already got the memo since she has been dropping handfuls of her winter coat for quite a while now. Me and the girls continued our extended stays on the porch during the day, enjoyed the beginnings of a beautiful sunset together, and watched with the humblest of respect as Winter quietly wound down her last couple of days before leaving town.

Observation of the day:

As it can sometimes be when you are watching a movie that you already know how it ends, so too is it that you can't help but sit through the end of winter until the final credit rolls up the screen.

Friday, 03/14/2025:

Sunrise was at 6:59 a.m., under clear skies and still air, and the temperature was 26°. The sunset will occur at 6:51. Another brisk morning greeted us as we went outside, but our spirits were high because we already knew that the day would end near 60°. The last full moon of the Winter season, also called the "Worm Moon" (because it marks the beginning of the worm migration closer to the surface), occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. overnight. This year, because it was also a full lunar eclipse, the pre-dawn sky was all the more special. And as if to add icing on the cake, the Ides of March comes tomorrow, and this journal entry will be published the day before St. Patrick's Day. By Day's end, basking in the glow of the warm sun that we watched retreat to the Western horizon - the girls chewing on sticks, me talking meteorology- the three of us were pretty sure it was the best day ever. I didn't want to harsh their buzz, so I intentionally chose to skip over the news about next week's forecast and how little Winter was going to be making her presents known.

Observation of the day:

Change long-awaited is especially warmly greeted if it shows up early.

Saturday, 03/15/2025:

Sunrise was at 6:57 a.m., under partly cloudy skies and still air, and the temperature was 31°. The sunset will occur at 6:52.

Another pre-dawn full moon greeted us under another clear sky with temperatures right around freezing. Our time of coffee and quiet contemplation was especially pleasurable because quiet roads always accompany weekend mornings, so me and Alice just soaked up every moment of the time we had before the chaos of the day would commence. The girls had their annual checkup at the veterinarian this morning, and unsurprisingly, they are both healthy, happy, and ginormous. Emma's humans have an out-of-town gathering to attend, so the girls will be getting a sleepover pajama party. I enjoy these, most especially because they have each other to terrorize, and I get more time to work on this last entry of the week. We had our 2-hour nap, made several trips to the porch, and settled in for a long visit, with the setting sun at 65° temperatures. Even though the girls thought yesterday was the best day ever, they quickly decided- especially because of all the attention they got at the vet- that maybe today was the best day ever. Note: If reincarnation is really a thing, I want to come back as a Newfoundland. That is all.

Observation of the day:

In all things meaningful and special in life, perhaps the greatest of these is the least among them.

Weekly PostScript:

What a difference a week makes; where I was only a week ago lamenting the bitter nature of strong, cold winds, I find complete contentment in the exact same temperatures, surrounded by soft and gentle breezes. With a calendar week left to go before the Vernal equinox and the subsequent official end to the winter season, next week's forecast suggests that (with a few mild and brief exceptions ) Winter is basically over. Don't get me wrong... I've lived in the Northeast most of my life and have seen blizzards in April, so I'm not counting any chickens just yet, but it is fair to say the worst is behind us until 3 days before next Christmas. If we were keeping score, I would say Winter won because she chased us inside on more than one occasion, but we earned a participation trophy because we kept coming back for more, and I called that a pretty decent consolation prize.