I was just interviewed for the Stonington Times in far Southeastern Connecticut. The interviewer wanted to know about snow, its costs, and how this winter stacked up.
In reality, and in spite of my kvetching, winter was about normal. It just started off so brutally that I got sick of it sooner than normal. We didn’t have much of a summer or fall – that added to the whole scenario.
Even today, with temperatures in the low 50s, there are reminders that winter isn’t that far behind us. On my side lawn, this pile of ‘permasnow’ stands defiant.
This is not the normal, sweet, fluffy snow that falls from the sky, but that evil icy junk that gets plowed and then compressed. It whiteness reflects the warmth of sunlight away. Its density prevents the air’s temperature from affecting anything but the very outer skin. It shares a survival instinct with the Norway rat – the unofficial animal of New York City.
At the same time, buds are starting to show on trees. This is from one of my peach trees (in the opposite side yard from the permasnow). Before long the air will turn colorful as the first of the flowering plants and bushes gets going.
In our front yard, bulbs we planted 12-13 years ago will shoot up and flower and be eaten almost immediately by the neighborhood deer. It’s a vicious cycle.
From now until late fall, what you see on the left is my favorite view. This home, an old mill house with the spillway nestled right up against the foundation,
is across a small pond and a few streets over from where I live. As the trees fill in, the house will become tougher to see. The view will remain excellent, and made better because I’ll be walking over to look instead of driving.