"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Homeward Bound

     My Snowbird adventure is over. This weekend I am returning to Pennsylvania from my winter trip to the south.

     You wouldn't think that going from where I am now, at latitude 33, to home, at latitude 40, would make that big a difference, especially considering there are 90 degrees of latitude in each hemisphere. But that 7 degrees of latitude represents a difference of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit at this time of year -- and several weeks difference in the arrival of spring.

Goodbye to my southern beach
     According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, astronomical spring begins on or about March 21, the Spring or Vernal Equinox, when the sun crosses the Equator. (Actually, in 2020 spring begins on March 19 or 20, depending on your time zone).

     For me, spring begins when the daffodils and forsythia come out. That, too, usually happens toward the end of March.

     But meteorologists use a different metric. They group each of the seasons into whole three-month periods. Meteorological spring consists of March, April and May. Summer is June, July and August.

     So according to the meteorologists, tomorrow brings us the first day of spring. And so, for now, I'll go with that. For no matter where I am, no matter what the temperature, I'm an optimist.

15 comments:

DJan said...

Welcome home! And happy spring, Tom. :-)

Bob Lowry said...

Spring is all mental, right Tom? If you believe and click your heels three times those daffodils are bound to appear...sometime.

Welcome home.

Arkansas Patti said...

Welcome back Tom. Saw my first volunteer daffodils this morning but then I am quite a bit south of you. Soon we will be mowing.

gigi-hawaii said...

I wish there were daffodils in my yard. If I planted them, would they survive?

Red said...

+You're also a realist because the equinox doesn't fit well with what's happening on the ground.

Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com said...

Welcome home Tom! If you are anything like my husband Thom and I, we love to go and we love to come home. And yes to Spring!. Of course, where I live spring is actually forecasts summer here in the desert and none of us look forward to that. Still, the weather here is just about perfect right now so we are definitely enjoying flowers in abundance and lettuce and tomatoes in the garden. Hoping all is well at home. ~Kathy

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Jono said...

I am envious and it makes me remember the seasons of my youth in Wilmington and the southern Delaware shores. Here in Northern Minnesota it has been a relatively mild winter. The warm trend continues for the foreseeable forecast so that most days are getting above freezing and the snow is slowly dissipating. Flowers are at least two to three months away.

Kay said...

Welcome back, Tom. It’s always good to be home no matter the weather. Spring is March to May? Gosh! It didn’t feel like spring in Chicago until mid to late April. In fact, I always felt like spring and fall were only a month long in Chicago. LOL

Wisewebwoman said...

I always loved Spring arriving so early in Ireland and all the wild flowers - primroses and bluebells mainly - would blanket the fields and woods.I can still smell the air all these years later.

Here, Spring staggers in yawning and reluctant in late June or early July. Blink and you'd miss it.

Anyway, welcome back Tom from the frozen island of Newfoundland.

XO
WWW

Linda Myers said...

Welcome home, Tom.

We'll be staying in Tucson for a while longer until Seattle looks more attractive to return to.

Rebecca Olkowski said...

We actually had some chilly days during the winter here in Los Angeles. I had to wear a coat. But now, it's back to normal and pleasant. Such is our boring but comfortable weather.

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Andrea Charles said...

Maybe we could recommend the meteorologist to categorise the season according to latitude difference and make information relatable. Isn't it, Tom? Whatever it is, the massive difference in the season for a mere 7-degree latitude is quite amazing. Glad to know that you are over with your winter trip and are returning home. Keep on writing and entertaining us!!

VasanthMusicCoimbatore said...

Hope you enjoyed your snowbird adventure. Spring is definitely a great season to enjoy. Wish you a lot of luck and prosperity in this spring season. I used to enjoy the sight of flowers from the Music institute in Coimbatore. Thanks for the refreshing post.