Jan. 02, 2004 - 21:36 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Dreamer

Okay, it is past the Winter Solstice, why don't we have instant sunshine now ? "Well dummy Doug, remember we have a bunch of winter to go through yet in hopes that enough snow will fall to fill our reservoirs."

Yeah but, why doesn't it just snow in the mountains and stay dry in town ? "I know you are tired of hearing this, but we live at the whim of the Jet Stream. A little wiggle here and a slight deviation there and you can have either bad weather or shirt sleeve weather in town." "Who was it said, "You have to take the bitter with the better ?" Jane Ace or Gracie Allen, one of the two I think.

Alright, but I am going to sit back and dream of the coming of blessed Spring when eager bulbs send growth pushing up above ground, those tender little greenies and pretty Crocuses. When the air warms in the day time, the trees are about to leaf out and the Forsythia trumpeting in vibrant yellows, "It is Spring, cheer up." I am no longer a youngster, but in the spring comes the urge for me to love all living creatures. A blue sky, the clouds beginning to puff up into summer glory, towering thousands of feet sometimes.

It is easy to understand why some creatures hibernate in the winter. I guess that is why we people mill around so much this time of year, the desire to be out and about might lead us into the sin of shopping, eating out, going to the movies or most any other reason to get out of the house, even cold as it is. When we were younger we liked to go up in the hills and ice skate on Evergreen Dam, biting cold, air like fine wine and hard, hard ice that had been cleared. Did a bit of skiing too. but for the most part we avoided going to the mountains in the cold part of the year. Winter never has done too much for me from my earliest memories. I have written about the romance of some snow and scenery in the winter but also remember those things were few and far between.

But now I am retired and don't have to go out into the cold and snow except when one of us is sick. Otherwise we hang out at home until at least the streets have been cleared. A blessing it is compared to some of my trips to work when the streets and roads were glare or black ice, where every bridge presented the icy danger of wrecking the car and a long walk to get help or to get gas in insufficient clothing was sheer torture. I did, though, learn to carry some heavy winter clothing in the trunk or in a box in the back of the van. Oh how I hate to wear layers of clothing trying to keep the cold out.

I guess one thing, winter shows me how beautifully blessed is spring.

It is snowing heavily in our mountains tonight, I hope it snows deep feet up there, piles the snow pack up to here so that we can have water without worry later on. But it is snowing here in town and tomorrow morning will probably be one of those mornings of slow moving traffic with the occasional cowboy with his magic SUV trying to weave in and out in the attempt to get a car length ahead. So if the jet stream will wiggle the snow away from town and put it in the mountains I will be happy.

I have nothing against people who love winter, glad they enjoy it, more power to them. That is until they try to convert me to their way of thinking. But the rebirth of life in the Spring is something looked forward to by me every year. As I see new growth burgeoning it seems to give me a shot of super vitamins and perks me up quite nicely.

In the winter in the night as I sleep Johnquils and other green things growing in front of my eyes appear as I watch, because I'm a Dreamer . . . . . . . . . .

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