I blogged this back in the beginning of January and on this, the first full day of spring, perhaps it's time to publish this.
The Southern Tier of New York was closed for the winter.
No, not really, but sometimes it feels that way. Let's pretend it's January.
Days blend into each other. Normally, skies would be overcast and temperatures would be low, day after day. Snow would cover the ground, and bare ground would make one feel just a little uneasy. Many places are on winter hours. Museums are closed the early part of the week. Garden centers and some farm markets are closed until April or even May. Outdoor farmers markets are definitely closed.
Although our temperatures are cooler than last week, they are still above normal. I am still taking exercise walks outdoors without wearing boots. The snow is gone. It will return, I know. What I am afraid of is January weather in April. Or even May.
It's happened before.
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Blowing snow (taken December 23)
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One loses track of time easier at this time of year although my guess is, it's still winter.
Is it just me, or has it become harder and harder to remember what day of the week it is? Even Siri is having problems. I was talking to my spouse outdoors as I took a picture last week and Siri suddenly spoke up, without me prompting it by saying "Hey, Siri". It started to inform me what the date was.
Did I ask it to?
I have to remember days, as I still work part time. It would be embarrassing not to sign in Monday because I thought it was a non-work day. In fact, when I wake up, the first thing I do is tell myself "today is ________". Like today. Tuesday. I work today.
But my spouse, who is retired, doesn't always remember the day of the week right off. Neither does my brother in law or his wife, both of whom are retired.
And meanwhile, now, it's spring.
The first of the garden centers I frequent opened on Saturday.
Trees have come awake. The birds are singing. Northern cardinals, blackbirds, chickadees, and yes, robins.
And yet, it can still be hard to remember what day of the week it is.
Does everyone forget about time when they retire? I wonder.