Weather-You Like It or Not

      

When I was a kid the first of May was a special day. Mayday was when we gave or received May baskets to girls, in my case, that you liked. You rang their doorbell and ran away but just slow enough that they could give chase and catch you. At that point the shy ones would let you go; the bold ones would give you a kiss.

Today was Mayday. I rode my bike to work in 30 degree weather with a windchill of 18 degrees. Midmorning we were kissed by snowflakes. What remains of the snow did not melt today. It has been said many times before that in Minnesota, if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two and it will change. Last week our world was locked in by crusty snow that kept us from the sugarbush. This is the first year we were not able to get in to tap trees. By late weekend we could have gotten in but Karen and I threw in the towel on the syrup season for this year. While I know we could get there now the weather has not been right for a good sap run. We will bide our time till the morels come up.

It has been horrifically windy the past few days. Where are the iceboaters now that the snow is off the lakes? Granted, the surface would not be smooth as oiled glass but the lakes are wide open. Karen has established a small jungle of young plants growing in containers, waiting for the weather to improve so they can go outside to play. Everything is waiting on the weather; it's not warm enough yet or its too wet, or too windy. We are never satisfied. And our wishes really don't matter. The weather will be what it will be, whether we like it or not.

Judge Rules Against WhiskeyJack Flats

In a ruling handed down at 9:30 pm. last night, a local judge denied road access to WhiskeyJack Flats. Members of WJF have been using the road for access to their local sugarbush since 2002. Spokesman for WJF said " He, (the judge), is just using the depth of snow and the icy hardpack as an excuse to deny us access to our ancestral sugarbush. His claim that snowmobiles made the road impassable is irrelevant." In an ironic twist to this case members of WJF helped the judge when he was SBNS, (Stuck Bigger'n Shit), prior to making his ruling. "We shoveled our asses off and gave him a jerk with our truck and tow rope. Who's the jerk now? All that shoveling aggravated my tendonitis."
WhiskeyJack Flats will consider appealing the decision as soon as the snow melts. The judge could not be reached for comment.

Acceptance-More Practice Required

The CT scan went well, I guess. We'll know the results next week. What proved to be a challenge today was a god damn TV in the laboratory lobby-carrying "live coverage" of the Fargo city commission meeting discussing flood preparations. The damn thing was right above me as I was trying to read-to take in Mary Oliver's Blue Pastures. When my blood work was done I was moved to the CT waiting area and that was okay for a while. Then an old couple hobbled in. (Am I really this cruel and judgmental?) The woman is waiting for her own CT and her husband, with a walker, kept her company. Again, I was trying to read Mary's book and then Gary Snyder's essays but this couple had stuff to talk about. Not much, mind you and not loud but-well-my ears were trying to pay attention when I didn't want them to listen and then my eyes went "what the what?" And my concentration was at risk and the hell of it is, the stuff they were talking about was just the nothing special-small talk of no consequence about things it never mattered and never will. Am I being judgmental again?

What was really difficult in the end-the topping on this cake of misery, was the elevator shopping Muzak jazzy shit coming from the speaker in the ceiling. Once, just once, they gave up on the sax and organ vibe and we had something that might have felt like Carlos if you are brain-dead. So today hell was other people. No-really. That wasn't hell. Just another day to practice acceptance. And acceptance is "the word" lately as winter keeps dragging her ass across a landscape leaving cold snow behind. Fishing opener is one month away and the lakes still have over 3 feet of ice. Everyone seems to be grumbling about the long winter. We aren't tapping trees yet but I doubt were missing anything so far. And yeah, I'd like so weather to begin to warm up and stay that way so the roads can become dry and my bike can carry me to work again.

So yes, in the end, the day was good. Any day we are alive enough to practice is bound to be a good day. Peace and love to you all.
Mike.