Well now, folks, if I remember correctly, ole Puxtahuxter Phil indicated we’d have six more weeks of winter weather. Boy Howdy, he sure got the first five weeks right, didn’t he?! In fact, round about in these here parts, February was more wintry than was January. It was colder, darker and longer, even with giving the first month the extra three days. This whole month was like waiting for your Dad to get home and hear what Mama was waiting to tell him about what you did at school today; it just drug by at an interminably slow pace.

But as for this week and that ole groundhog, well now that’s just another matter entirely. Looks like we’ll be spending the week basking in the warm glow of a too early spring and singing songs about daffodils and robins. Upper sixties today, low seventies for the next two days and sunshine all the way from now until the cows come home. And that’s giving the cows all the way to the weekend to come home.

The warm spells sure are nice after the torture, aren’t they? Sort of gives us a new level of appreciation. Like my buddy in Arkansas who had to spend several days staying at a cheap but very friendly motel until the roads finally cleared enough for him to get back home. I think life is a lot more complex than just needing to freeze now and then so we can enjoy the sunshine. On the other hand, I guess that’s reason enough for the freezing.

One of the useful little tricks I’ve learned is to thoroughly enjoy the warm days and sunshine, even when we realize that the other week of winter weather could still be out there in front of us somewhere. It could show up in April, you know. But the summer will still come and by the way, it is legal to shoot groundhogs in Kansas.

H. Arnett
3/9/15