Spring is Here

Posted to OGR on 03/20/2011

At 7:21 PM Eastern time today, the day after the perihelion moon, spring arrives! Wow, that’s a lot of astrological activity in a short period of time. I think it is interesting that our society takes atomic clocks, that measure time at an uncertainty of one second in 30 million years with a yawn and a nod, while we all run outside to see the moon at its closest or to enjoy the first day of spring.

Where we live has a big impact on what that day is like. Here in my part of the country it is clear and the temperatures in the mid 60s. Out west there is a big winter storm brewing in eastern California and Nevada. More snow and ice are expected in the northern plains and fog along the gulf coast. Everyone has a different experience on the first day of spring.

The weather has a big influence on fashion too. Down here we are beginning to wear white and seersucker, while that doesn’t happen until Memorial Day in other parts of the country. Not to mention southern Florida and California, where they wear that all year round. I remember a conference call one day where the conversation almost got heated as to when you could start wearing white and when you had to quit each year. “To each, his own,” I say. Hah! You can always tell when a person is outside of his or her normal element. We can see that here when someone is wearing shorts in February when the temperature is in the low 50s. I am sure they can spot us in our sweaters and jackets when we are up there too.

Growing up in Florida, spring days brought large temperatures swings between the time we were going to school in the cool mornings and walking home in the warm afternoon sun. I remember how we wore coats and jackets in the morning, but in the afternoon, it was entirely too warm to wear them, so we would have to stuff them into our book bags or lug them on top of the books under our arms all the way home. It was all a big pain. Eventually we figured out that we could tie them around our waists by the arms. That worked pretty well for the girls but the boys were too macho to do that. Every now and then, I see a young co-ed walking down the street with her jacket tied around her waist and her pony tail swinging in the breeze. All of a sudden, I am 16 again! Oh MY!

Copyright 2011 Rick Wrigley