I started noticing it about Wednesday of last week. There was a light patina of yellow dust on the edge of my windshield when I started up the car to drive downtown to the office.
I went into immediate denial; it was the third week of February and we are supposed to be still on the lookout for possible flurries not for pine pollen. My body brought the reality into sharp focus with sneezing and coughing. To add insult to injury, the high temperatures the past few days were record high for those dates and the lows were warmest on record as well.
I went to the back window and checked; sure enough the Japanese Magnolia was in full bloom; the first blast of spring like weather arrived in February again this year. I have to admit, that I’m not a big fan of winter weather but I hate to see spring arrive this early. It’s bad for the strawberries, bad for the peaches and a bad omen for the summer to come.
This didn’t seem right so I checked with the South Carolina State Climate Office’s Web site. My suspicions were confirmed; the latest day in the year that we saw snow was April 3rd. Sure that was in 1915, but in 1973 we saw 16 inches of snow on February 9th and 10th out at the airport, 13 and ½ inches downtown near where I was working at WIS-TV. If my memory serves, it was not unusual to see a small snow event in March over the years I’ve been living here.
I don’t think it is going to happen this year though. The temperature is supposed to moderate this week but still remain above the average historical highs and lows for the week. Next weekend we’ll see the lowest temperatures in two weeks they will be a only a few degrees below the normal temps for those days, 67 degrees. It’s not looking too good for a return of winter.
I just spotted the nail in old man winter’s coffin as I glanced out of my studio window and spotted the pine worms in the trees all laden with yellow pollen ready to drop on me and the cars outside. Yup, both of the groundhogs; General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta and Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania spotted their shadows on February 2 and predicted 6 more weeks of winter. Phil may have it right up in the snowy North but I think General Beauregard Lee may be in need of glasses. Looks like an early spring down here in the south.
There is a silver lining in the early spring, if we don’t have any more freezing weather it will be good for the strawberries, peaches and oranges. We have lost too many crops due to late cold snaps. So keep your fingers crossed.
Still, my body is not yet ready for warmer weather. Last night I hung up all my flannel shirts. The lumberjack look is gone until November this year. The straw on the camel’s back was sweating in my flannel shirt last Friday in 80 degree weather.
Another spring thing I’m happily anticipating involves my weekly trek to and from the WUSC-FM studios on the University of South Carolina Campus. Instead of crossing the chilly, windswept patio at Russell House, I’ll be greeted by the students sitting at the tables under the spread arms of the Live Oak trees. My mind will be going back to those days 50 plus years ago when I was there enjoying the sunshine and the comradeship of my fellow students.
It will also be good to look out of the radio studio on the third floor down onto the red brick patio through the leaves branching out on the tree nearest the window. Unless it is raining, the patio will be alive with foot traffic as the students cross back and forth. One other thing that happens in the spring is the groups of high school juniors and their parents being led around by their Carolina Ambassadors getting the grand tour of the beautiful campus as they make their decisions about which college to attend. It’s not lost on me that in a few months, it will be the 55th anniversary of the day when I first laid my eyes on that patio. It was smaller and more intimate back then. Ahhh – the circle of life is complete. Oh MY!
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