A taste of early spring

This has been a great winter for those who enjoy snow. Most weeks, there has been a chance of snow and more often than not we have gotten some of the white stuff.

There have been flurries, small snows and large snows (by Tennessee standards, anyway). There have been nuisance snows that have only disrupted our lives a little bit. Then, there have been deep snows that have caused a lot of problems especially if a person has been caught far from home.

For instance, I work in Davidson County so I have had my eyes on the skies quite often this season. The Weather Channel's web site has been an invaluable resource during this time. A delayed decision of only a few minutes can mean the difference between a smooth ride home and having to dodge slick spots in the rural areas of Interstate 24.

In the last couple of weeks, I have reached the inescapable conclusion that I am sick of snow. As a child I yearned for it, and as an adult, I have tolerated it. This year, it has provoked angst and gnashing of teeth.

I am confident this will only be a temporary situation. Next winter, if snow is in short supply, I am sure I will become anxious to see it again and will complain if it does not come.

However, for the time being, I am fed up with it.

Fortunately, we have gotten a break from this the last few days. We have had temperatures at or above normal. Because of this, my mind has been wandering to the upcoming spring.

During the day, temperatures will become warm enough to wear shorts while the evenings will remain cool enough so we have to keep an extra blanket on the bed. A perfect weather day is when it is cool enough to wear a sweatshirt while warm enough to wear shorts. It is a perfect blend of what nature has to offer.

Of course, I am not naïve enough to believe that winter has gently slipped into the background. History shows us that March has plenty of teeth when it comes to winter weather.

In recent history, the March Superstorm of 1993 dumped more than 10 inches of snow on us here locally. In an ironic twist, this was on the same weekend that the Coffee County girls' basketball team won the state championship.

Instead of being at the game, I can remember listening to it on the radio. And it was all because of the snow.

My advice is that we not let our guards down because I have a feeling winter still has some tricks up its sleeve. As unpredictable as the season has been, there is no reason to believe that there will not be one more big snowfall dumped on us.

If that happens, that will be a sad day. Of course, there is tremendous irony in my feelings on this. Even after all the snow we have seen, watching it fall from the sky is still one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

Much like a dog sticks his head out the window of a moving car, I cannot stop looking outside when it is snowing.

As it falls, thoughts are not about the hazards the flakes will cause. The flakes seem like small, beautiful works of art. It is art so beautiful that it would be a sin not to appreciate their beauty.

Then, of course, the snow stops falling, and I walk outside and slip and fall. At this point, reality trumps art, and my thoughts go back to spring again.

It is about one month until spring. Let us hope that we have an early one.