I’m told it’s spring. Around here that means two things – mud and sugar.
Let’s start with mud.
For the next four weeks, the back roads of New England will be off limits to anyone who doesn’t own high-top boots and/or a four-wheel-drive vehicle. See that dirt road? You don’t even want to think about driving on it.
Although daytime temps are moderate (30s and 40s) there’s still snow sitting around, and they’re even talking about “unsettled” weather at the end of this week. I think that means the weather forecasters haven’t settled on the number of inches, yet.
The sugar part is what makes life bearable in this non-season. The smell of maple vapor, the buckets and lines running through the woods, and the chance to get together with friends for breakfast at a sugarhouse for pancakes and all things sweetable --- this is the stuff of winter dreams!
Ahhhh!
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
It’s enough to make me want to break out in song, nay poetry (!), in Middle English, no less.
Thank you, Geoffrey Chaucer. And thank you to whatever English teacher it was who made me memorize this thing. I hated it then, but love it today.
It's snowing up here in the hinterlands, but that should cover up all the dirty stuff lying around the edges.
The Japan nuke disaster has strengthened local resistance to the license extension for Vermont Yankee, just a few miles down the road. The Vernon plant is similar in design to the one now deconstructing itself on the coast of Japan. Until recently, VY's little leaks and brief shutdowns didn't bother too many people, especially since it provides about one third of local power and lots of jobs. Now, it's different story.
An op-ed in today's local paper refers back to the Hungarian revolution of 1956, when, through Radio Free Europe, we encouraged rebellion then didn't back our words with action when the rebels really needed us. The US did, however, take in many refugees. Will that be the case with Libya? I, for one, hope so but we didn't take in many Iraqis (even the ones who helped us in the war), much to our shame.
Smith College Annual Spring Bulb Show
Northampton, Massachusetts
March 7, 2011