Put On a Poncho

Virginia's weather this winter has been unseasonal, to say the least.

It has rained a lot.

The weather has been much, much too warm.

The grass is greening, we're at least two weeks ahead of schedule with the flowers, and the trees have budded out.

Will we have peaches? Apples? How will this affect my friends who are fruit tree farmers? Will my own lovely deciduous trees survive this perplexing weather?

This was not the year to put away your fall clothes. Some days it has been so warm one could wear shorts and be comfortable.

We've had a few below-freezing days, but I think I can count them on one hand. Does this mean the stink bugs will be roaring back with vengeance, staining everything they decide to spit up on? Will other bugs be abundant? How about ticks? Will Lyme Disease be as scary as the Coronavirus?

The gray days, of which there have been many, have forced me to use my seasonal light therapy doohickey nearly every day. I tend to be more depressed in the winter, you see. My doctor recommended this light therapy as way to help ease the darkness wrought by the lesser sunshine of the season.

However, it is hard to have sunshine with constant cloud cover. Sheesh.

The rain has made it difficult for the fellows who are helping my husband out by feeding our cattle while he is recovering from his surgery. They're having to battle the mud to get out in the fields. They are traveling in the ruts from days before. It's only slightly better than snow, and that's just because it's warmer. At least a cold, frozen ground would make getting back and forth less of an ordeal.

But we've not had enough cold to freeze the ground for any length of time.

I hear there is no such as climate change. I hear that folks don't believe there is any reason to make the air cleaner, or to stop chopping down trees, or to stop pollution. I hear that deregulation and ridding the US of the Environmental Protection Agency would be a good thing.

Because there's no such thing as climate change. We don't need clean air to breathe, and who cares what is in the water that falls from the sky, right? We can't be costing corporations money to clean up their act! We can't put people first in this country, no way.

We're the little guys. All replaceable.

Wonder what "they" will do when the only people left to replace us are the ones they won't let in the country anymore?

Sorry, got off track there. Not sure how a little essay on Virginia weather turned into a sarcastic climate change snit. Of course the climate is changing. Of course we need regulations and a vibrant, working EPA. Of course we need clean air and clean water.

Maybe we need more rain, to wash away the grim realities that half the country refuses to face.

Let's get wet, Virginia.