The first real snow fall of winter seems so far away now. Marking the end of one season and the start of the next, that mid-December storm brought in the first taste of the months ahead. Since then, we have endured countless snowstorms, shoveled innumerable miles of walkway, plowed acres worth of snow, and gotten the truck stuck more times than I care to admit. With March finally upon us, I think its safe to say I want nothing more than to put winter in the rear-view mirror.
It’s not to say winter has been all bad. On the contrary, I have really enjoyed all the quirks and novelty that winter brings. As an LRCC member, I’ve had the unique opportunity to trek out onto a frozen Squam lake in the name of science and contribute to a well-established water quality dataset. There’s also nothing quite like breaking in a trail after a heavy snowfall—the ground unblemished aside from the occasional rogue animal track. In those moments I found clarity in my service and in my purpose here. While my hands might have been nipped by the wind or my socks dampened by melting snow in my boots, it was undeniable that it was all surreal.
Yet, for all the memories and gratification I found in the snow or on the ice, recently I find myself asking, “When will this winter end?!?!”
While the frozen landscapes and howling winds have been dreamy, especially on cozy nights in our cottage watching survivor with a warm mug in hand, I really miss the feeling of the sun beaming down on me unincumbered by the cold. I am eager for the longer and warmer days of spring and summer. Days that I hope to fill with afternoons wrist deep in garden soil, with early morning paddles onto Squam lake, or late evenings grilling in our backyard as the sun washes the sky in pink and orange. I feel a stirring readiness to break out of my torpor and emerge on the other side recharged for the promised months ahead.
While I wait for those warmer days to come, I find hope in the small changes I see each passing week. The return of ducks to our little cove outside the SLA. A rotund robin inviting itself to a patch of freshly melted ground. Sunsets at 5:30 PM. A random afternoon above 40˚ F! The end of winter is in sight—I can just feel it.
As I sit here now, Piper cove in the distance with it’s windswept ice and framed by the windows of the SLA, I am mesmerized by the beauty of this time. Moreover, I know I will look back on it fondly, if not enviously on some of summer’s hotter and steamier days, but I also know that the moment I step outside the doors of this office I’ll be quickly reminded of why I am so eager for this season of cold and snow to end.
Here’s to hoping for warmer days ahead!
If you see Mikey around SLA HQ, ask him about his grad school endeavors! When he’s not getting accepted to programs he’s applied to, Mikey has kept busy keeping his fellow LRCC crew on their toes with a prank around every corner. Learn more about Mikey here!