I have to admit, one of the many reasons I enjoy living in Maryland is for the chance to experience the four seasons.  There’s truly something to like about each one, from the flowers of spring, the warm weather of summer, the beautiful colors of fall, and even the snows of winter.

Snow?

Yes, I said snow.  Although I’ll be the first one to gripe about road conditions, shoveling the driveway, idiotic drivers, and the overall hassle of dealing with snow, I do enjoy it.  As a matter of fact, this past week’s light snowfall was picture perfect – just enough to stick to the trees and ground, but not enough to really cause a lot of headaches on the roadway or sidewalks.  I was out walking this past Tuesday night and the moonlit landscape was breathtakingly beautiful.

Then comes Saturday and its 65 degrees. 

65 degrees. 

In January.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and make a grand argument about climate change, but I have to admit, that temp is uncommon and unusual for this time of year.  To me, late December, January, February, and the first-half of March are the time of year I get to wear scarves, earmuffs, and gloves – not shorts and flip-flops. 

I want to spend my winter Saturday and Sunday afternoons snuggled under a pile of blankets, drowsily dozing off while watching it gently snow outside my window.  I don’t want to be thinking about trimming my apple tree before it re-buds or watching my daffodils poking through the ground in mid-February, making them both ripe and ready to get frozen out by a late-winter cold snap.

I want to cradle a hot cup of coffee or tea, not pour a glass of lemonade or iced tea.

There is a time and place for everything, and the early months of the year are for icicles, baggy sweatshirts, and a hearty bowl of chili.  I don’t know what’s going on with Mother Nature, but she needs to pump the brakes on ‘Heat Miser” and allow the ‘Snow Miser’ his due (“BA-DUM BUM BUM, BAAAAAAAAAAAA DUMP” – see you’re humming it now, too.  You’re welcome.)

Of course, now that I’ve mentioned it, we’ll have the worst February for snow on record.  Oh well, I’ll grab some extra bread and milk and ride this thing out.  It will be April before we know it.