My Mood has Lifted Considerably

It is finally springtime. The looooong, cold winter we here in Michigan, and the Mid-West in general, were suffering through is over. For the past two days, it has been 70+ degrees. Now, I understand it won't stay this temperature for very long, but even the 60 we'll be having over the weekend is a dramatic improvement over below freezing temps and feet of snow. So, this makes me very happy.

You see, I am one of those people who gets very sad in the winter. Constant gray-ness and lack of sunlight brings me down. I find myself both sleeping and snapping at Brian a lot more in the months of November through March. (Particularly December, January, and February.) This is one reason why I think I'd be very happy living in Florida, or someplace else south of the Mason-Dixon line. However, since we've decided we'll probably be here for a long time, I deal the best I can. However, on days like these, I am all smiles. For example, I was just down at the open air shopping center south of town, and I found myself driving with my XM radio playing very loudly, singing along even more loudly. On the way down, it was "Ice Ice Baby" on the 90's channel. (People were looking at me with the funniest expressions.) On the way back, it was Miley Cyrus, of all people. But I'm in such a good stinking mood I can't help myself.

I'm also happy about the abundance of wildlife we keep seeing around our house. The other week, I saw an opossum in the front flower bed, rooting around for food. Boy, I'm from the country, but I have to be honest, that was the first possum I've seen that wasn't dead on the side of the road. What a mangy creature, so ugly only a mother could love it. The flock of cranes that live on the nearby lake are back for the summer. We are still seeing our backyard friends, the ever-present herd of deer. And, my favorites, the pair of Mallard ducks that wander around the subdivision and swim in the skanky swampy area behind our house. She is always ahead of him, and he's always running to catch up with her. Typical male/female relationship.

So, needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the next 5 or so months, with the sunshine and lack of snow. I hope next winter is not as bad as this one was, because if it is, I might have to throw in the towel.