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February 08, 2009

pictures of you

Today is a lie. The hazy blue sky, gentle breeze, and 75-degree temperature say, "Spring isn't on the way, baby; Spring is right here, right now, so toss that sweater under the bed and get out your bermudas and t-shirt!"

The cats lie in the sun on the deck, blinking and stunned, yawning. "I heard the birds singing this morning," said Herself, "and I thought it was summer."

Because today says, "Come on, you know you want it, and it's right here."

But it isn't.

Last Thursday it was 19 degrees and the wind made me shudder. Last week it snowed. Last week it was so cold that my damp hair froze when I went outside to start the car after my shower.

Today I worked in the yard, clearing and cutting and raking and sweating, remembering only after I'd bagged everything up and exposed the soil to the sun that it's too early for that; I should have left it alone; it's February, not April. It's winter.

And even though the blue sky and the breeze and the sun say, "How about some barbecue and a beer?" the shadows are long on the brown grass and the trees are still skeletons and there's ice on the lake. Today is a lie. But how nice to believe the lie, even for just a few hours.

Posted by JudyLa at 06:00 AM | Comments (0)