Winter reflections

The vernal equinox is upon us bearing gifts of pollen, April showers and cook outs to come. Before we get into our spring flings, let’s look back at this last season and just how winter treated us.

 

If any time travelers are reading this, I do not recommend going back to the winter of 2020/21. The weather was absolutely dreadful, a lot of people in Texas lost power and we reached the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winter is usually known as a somber, reflective season but this one really just gave me the cold shoulder.

 

“To everything there is a season,” says the book of Ecclesiastes. “A time for every purpose under heaven.”

 

This winter was definitely a time for catching up on homework and housework, because there was not much else to do. We were all snowed in and many Arkansans who did venture out ended up in the ditch. I know because my father and I had to help them out with his wrecker.

 

During that mini ice age we experienced, Clark County was buried under 18 to 22 inches of snow. Pipes burst, branches broke and all the milk or bread vanished from the grocery store shelves.

 

The snow wasn’t all bad. I enjoyed a day or two outside. I even started up my pit bike and made a few laps. I give the snow a solid 6 out of 10. It was a good effort on the part of the polar vortex, but it was a little overkill.

 

“A time to embrace,” the New King James Version says. “And a time to refrain from embracing.”

 

And a time to refrain from embracing it was as cases of coronavirus peaked in late December and early January. In February and March, many received shots of the Pfizer vaccine which put them out of commission for a day or two. Now we’re seeing low numbers we haven’t seen since before Thanksgiving.

 

In Clark County, the total cases recently topped 2,000, yet the weekly average has dipped to around two or three new cases. This has a lot of people hopeful as Governor Asa Hutchinson contemplates lifting the mask mandate at the end of March.

 

The season finale of winter was unexpected as it went out with a fizzle. I’m almost surprised the show was renewed. I don’t think anybody is going to go back and watch the reruns of this past year. Hopefully this next quarter revolution around the sun offers more to do and an overall better mood.

 

So, what will I be doing Saturday, March 20? I’ll be bringing in the spring with The Byrds.

 

“To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And a time to every purpose under heaven.”