Discontent

This is the season of my discontent.

Lying in the cold, wondering where the summer went...

Was there not a spring? 

Has Autumn all been spent?

You'll have to grant me pardon now if I seem discontent.

This is the worst of times, when better times have gone,

deserting me and hurting me, leaving me alone.

Did I give offense?

Pray! Say! Tell! what I did so wrong,

to incur the wrath of colder times, when better times have gone?

"The Snow Man" - (1932)

With much of the country in the icy grips of late winter storms I thought a cartoon about snow would be appropriate. So, I picked one which shows bad weather to be all that it is, and yet offers some hope for a reprieve from the onslaught.

I have no real information to share about this cartoon; the credits at the beginning have been cut short, so I can't even tell you what studio produced it. But it is good enough to stand on it's own merit.

Apparently the evil Snowman arrives right around Christmas; kind of like the Grinch; and makes everybody miserable. That's just what he does; it's his "thing."

But soon his victims grow tired and one of them fast forwards the wintry season through the use of what appears to be a seasonal adjuster, bringing on a new spring. And, just like the Wicked Witch of the West in "Wizard of Oz", he melts away and the world goes back to a warm and friendly place once again.

So, take heart. This won't last forever.

Spring Has Sprung

Well, spring has officially sprung once again, and most of the nation will be glad to see it arrive! The past winter was unpredictable and fraught with strange and dangerous weather, which we will all be glad to see gone. Here in the Charlotte area we were lucky, with only one light dusting of snow last month. The rest of the state didn't do quite as well, with some flooding and wind damage, but nothing when compared to the storm related damages elsewhere.

As you can see, we have completely re-done our backyard, extending the patio and adding a couple of fountains and a reflecting pool. We even had a few sculptures placed in order to give it a more unique flavor. Once everything begins blooming, it should be even more beautiful.

Actually, that is Stowe Botanical Gardens on Gaston County, about 40 minutes from our house. I was thinking of posting this for April Fool’s Day, but changed my mind. The gardens were spectacular, though spring was still three days away from making its arrival when I took this photo last Sunday.

Spring is a time of renewal. Everything that left for the winter comes back again. And the cycle starts all over. For me, there is a strange comfort in that; knowing that the end of one season marks the beginning of the next; somehow that makes it easier to wade through the winter months, “waiting for the sun.” 

"Peeping Penguins" - Max Fleischer (1937)

With the weather so cold up north in New York; and hotter down south; I found myself in a bit of a lurch while trying to decide what cartoon to post today for my grandkids. Around holidays the choice is easy enough, but what to do when the kids live so far away, and in opposite directions, as well as climates?

The answer, of course, is to simply pick out the one which you like best (the cartoon, not the grandkid!) and just go with it.  The grandkids up north will appreciate the snowy theme, and the ones in Texas will remember being here for a white Christmas 2 years ago.

This is another fluid Max Fleischer creation, featuring 2 small penguins, both of whom ignore their mothers warning and go exploring the inside of a hunter’s cabin. The things they find within, along with their naivety about humans, make this a cute little cartoon for a cold winter’s day in upstate New York; or even a warm and sunny day in Texas.

Contrasts

This is the thermometer on my back porch at 6 PM today. It's not the humidity- it's the heat!


This was the thermometer on my back porch just 6 months ago! I am still debating which one is worse.

"The Boy At the Window" by Richard Wilbur

Seeing the snowman standing all alone
In dusk and cold is more than he can bear.
The small boy weeps to hear the wind prepare
A night of gnashings and enormous moan.
His tearful sight can hardly reach to where
The pale faced figure with bitumen eyes
Returns him such a godforsaken stare
As outcast Adam gave to Paradise.

The man of snow is, nonetheless, content
Having no wish to go inside and die.
Still, he is moved to see the youngster cry.
Though water is his element,
He melts enough to drop from one soft eye
A trickle of the purest rain, a tear
For the child at the bright pane surrounded by
Such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear.

Richard Wilbur-1952

Snow - The Next Day

This is the street in front of my home this morning. The 6" of snow from yesterday has been replaced by a coating of ice, which will melt later, but in the meantime has everybody slowing down a bit, taking time for that extra cup of coffee while the cars warm up.


This is the backyard at 8 AM this morning. The second wave of freezing rain came through late yesterday night and covered everything with a sheen of ice. It's pretty if you can stay inside and enjoy it.

Don't Forget To Fall Back......

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonite before you go to bed. Wouldn't want to cheat yourself out of an extra hour of whatever you might be doing at 2 AM! I actually waited up one year to see how the TV stations handled it. I fell asleep in front of the TV at about 1:30 AM, so that falls under the "Failed Research - To Be Retried at a Later Date" category. That list gets longer every year. I'm going to try and enjoy staying up a little bit later, and then also waking up a little bit later, which will still really be a little bit earlier, so the whole thing will even out in the end.