5:15
p.m.
21 ℉ (feels like 12 ℉)
It’s dusk and my backyard has an ethereal glow. It’s been
snowing off and on since yesterday and the all of the color seems to have been
wrung out of the landscape. My eyes register the snow as lavender and everything
else, the bare trees, the concrete and wood steps, even the evergreens, seem brown
and black. The only bright colors are the artificial ones that we painted, the yellow
and red posts we re-purposed for hanging baskets and a bird feeder in the warmer
months. It’s stark but yet this space feels powerful in its dormancy. It is
really cold out here. The cold is mighty. Not to be trifled with. I’m bundled
up but I don’t want to stop moving. I want to say, “OK! I get it! It’s February
in Pittsburgh and I should be inside.” But I’m going to stay out here a little
while longer.
 | |
| Attempt to capture lavender snow |
I’m probably scaring any wildlife that may have wandered
into my yard had I been sitting still, but I haven’t seen any of the usual
suspects recently anyway. The gray squirrels and mourning doves are elsewhere.
We do have a groundhog that pops up in our yard in the spring and summer to
cause a little mischief. One particularly annoying habit she (I’m guessing at
the gender here) has is to take one bite of a tomato and then throw it away as
if to say, “Nananana!” We looked into having her transplanted to a more rural
environment, but apparently groundhogs are very territorial and she would
probably not survive long. And, anyway, we don’t really mind sharing the yard
and veggies with her. After all, she was here before we moved into the
house. But, right now she shouldn’t be stirring.
It's now dark and I'm heading back inside. I feel better for visiting my backyard, even if it's bitter cold. Maybe some of the other-worldliness will stay with me indoors.
A Bit about Groundhogs:
Groundhogs begin their hibernation in late September or
early October and don’t emerge again until March or April, depending on how
cold the region is. Which makes me wonder why Groundhog’s Day is February 2nd? Poor Punxsutawney Phil always looks like he
would be terrified and would put up a good fight if he weren’t drugged, but
maybe he’s just really, really sleepy. I doubt it, though. According to www.groundhog.org, the official site of the Pennsylvania
Groundhog Club, "The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated
with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries
the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the
people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day
was important.”
I like the information about groundhogs! Way to tie that in.I also like the inner thought in this post, I laughed a little, imagining you wanting to yell out against the cold. I like that you bring us along in wondering about the squirrels and birds, all the things you usually see, but have disappeared with the snow, along with the color, which is awesome. "The color seems to have been wrung out of the landscape," is clearly powerful and simple. I love that. It is most certainly your strength! I hope to see more of it!
ReplyDeleteThis post was fun and inviting into the snow covered, darkened landscape of your backyard. I especially liked the bit about you trying to being bundled up to keep warm. It's not always easy to stand still in the cold temperatures. What I loved most about this post, other than the hilarious bit about the visiting groundhog, was that you described the snow as lavender instead of the usual white or crummy black it turns into. I guess depending on the time and light of day the snow does tend to be a horse of many colors. I'm glad that despite the cold, snowy weather that you went outside to experience it. If you're interested in other ways to keep warm while outside, go buy some heating pads that you can stick in your shoes, mittens, or pockets of your jacket. You'll be a little warmer, I promise!
ReplyDeleteYour stance on the groundhog: "We looked into having her transplanted to a more rural environment, but apparently groundhogs are very territorial and she would probably not survive long." is compelling that your thought before acting.
ReplyDeleteIt's commendable that you "don’t really mind sharing the yard and veggies with her. After all, she was here before we moved into the house." I know some fauna can destroy a crop, rather than pick at it. Hopefully, your family and hers live in harmony.
I'm struck here by one of the things that Erin mentioned: your use of color to describe your surroundings. You've managed to bring the landscape to life through color when at first glance it seem absent of color. That reveals that you're seeing past the surface.
ReplyDeleteBeing in a rural place, we have a massive groundhog population. Did you know that they are sometimes called "whistle pigs"? I love that. Funny story: I was running along the river last fall and a groundhog suddenly ran out into the trail in front of me. I had to literally hurdle over it so as to avoid a collision. Startled us both, I think. Good thing groundhogs are surprisingly fast when they want to be :-)
I love how humane your attitude is toward groundhogs! My roommate told me that a few years ago, we too had a groundhog in our backyard-though we haven't seen him in a long while. I wonder if it is the same little guy (or gal), making the rounds in Swissvale! :)
ReplyDelete