Longing for Springtime!
By Bill Shepard
I share in the sentiments of all those who are ready for Springtime! The dying gasps for Winter will be a welcome sound and the warm breath of Spring will be most inviting. It all goes to prove that we earthly creatures are never satisfied. We can all be glad that the seasons have their own set time for change. Think what a muddled mess this planet would be in, if man had control of the seasonal changes. Talk about “road rage”, that would be a drop in the bucket, compared to “weather rage.” Imagine what it would be like- you who like the cold weather would arise and dress in your heavy clothing and step outside to find that your neighbor had decided on a warm spring day and had changed the weather to suit himself. Yes, weather rage could be a troubling problem to have to deal with.
I recall the stories my dad used to tell about happenings in the old mill where he worked. He was a weaver and it seems that a certain humidity was necessary for his looms to operate efficiently. Without any kind of inside control, the conditions were governed by the weather on the outside. Dad would raise or lower the windows near the looms where he worked in order to adjust the humidity. Trouble was, the worker operating a set of looms at another part of the large ‘weaver room’ did not need the same conditions as Dad so that person would adjust the windows to suit his or her needs. In today’s jargon, that would lead to “window rage.” Now, one can imagine the difficulties we would all face, if man was given control of the weather.
It is doubtful that there is any more talked about subject than the weather. Strangers who meet in the marketplace and have no other thing to talk about can be heard to make some remark about the weather. Statements like, “Sure is a nice day outside”, or “Isn’t this some nasty weather we are having,” are just a few of that are often heard.
Yesterday was one of those days that was just right. I walked over to my neighbor’s shop where he was doing some repair on his building. I sat down on his porch and said,” Isn’t this a beautiful day,” and then added, “You couldn’t have had a nicer day even if you had ordered it yourself.”
“That’s right,” he agreed, but added, “If it stays like this a few days our fruit trees will start budding; then they will get killed later on and we won’t have any plums and peaches this summer.” We both agreed on his statement and then changed the subject to what he was doing. At least he had control over that. Somebody said that weather was like a polecat, in that you can talk about it all you want but it will go on stinking! There is one thing that you can say about the weather and be right; it will change! You can count on it! Even the ‘Good Book’ has declared it so. Read it for yourself- Genesis 8:22, “ While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
I guess that settles the matter and we are all fortunate that it does. This planet is in enough mess as it is and if man could get in control of the weather, it would only lead to a bigger mess! I don’t like that word, mess, to describe our world but it will have to do until I can find a better one.
From where I am sitting, it appears that we are in for another of those ‘made to order’ days. The sun has risen and showing its face in the eastern sky. The soft breeze is moving through the treetops, barely moving the small branches, and I just saw a grey squirrel dart past my window. I’m glad to be alive and to have eyes to see all that is happening. Yes, and I am glad that I, nor anyone else, had the power to change the weather. I’ll go down to my neighbor’s workshop after a while and I know what we will say; I can hear him now: “Sure is a beautiful day, ain’t it?” And I’ll respond with, ‘It couldn’t be better! And neither of us had anything to do with it.”
On my way across the yard, I’ll notice the green stems of the daffodils and jonquils that have pushed their way through dead leaves that I piled over them last fall. They know the season is about to change. Their cold winter nap had ended, perhaps a little early, but now that they are awake there is nothing they can do but to take it as it comes. There will be a lot of cold weather ahead, perhaps some sleet and snow, but as for Springtime and Summer, I know that it is on the way and I join with all of those who are longing for a change and say, “Bring it on!”
I already confess that I know that before the Spring, and the hot Summer to follow, is over this writer, along with a lot of other folk, will be longing for the cool days of Fall to make their appearance, and they will!
“Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.” Psalm 74:17.
Mr. Shepard is a native of Darlington, S.C., and a current resident of Piedmont, S.C. We are delighted to share his stories each week.
His mailing address for cards and letters is: Bill Shepard 324 Sunny Lane, Piedmont, S.C., 29673.