Cardinal on the Edge

Cardinal on the Edge

Guess what? It’s snowing here, again. It was warm yesterday and a good deal of the prior snow had melted. I could actually see grass in the yard and buds on the trees. Just when I put the snow shovel away, I have to drag it back out.

I wonder how confused the outdoor creatures must be. I can almost here the squirrels saying, “Snow again? Didn’t it snow already this winter? What is going on?” 

The birds, too, might be getting fed up with the weather. Snow covers the birdbath, blows into the feeders, coats the tree branches. It’s almost nesting season but who wants to build a nest just to have it soaked when the snow melts? 

I tuck myself into a warm coat just to get to my car. I can see the animals puffed out against the flakes and the wind. The birds fluff their feathers for whatever protection that provides.

And yet, it isn’t snowing everywhere. In one town over it is only raining. It seems weird that weather systems have edges. These are known as weather fronts. It is the boundary between two air masses. One side can be dry and cold while the other moist and warm.

But it really shouldn’t be a surprise. Doesn’t everything have an edge? How would we distinguish one thing from another if it all blended together? People are individuals. So are all living things. The boundary needn’t be abrasive, however. I’m thinking about countries that are reluctant to let each other live in peace, religions that stigmatize anyone who doesn’t follow the dogma, or politicians who discredit any idea that doesn’t echo their own. Perhaps if we see boundaries as places to connect rather than divide, we will be able to appreciate that edge – even if it means more snow. And aren’t snowflakes beautiful?

Check out the weather predictions for your area:

 http://www.weather.gov/

And if you are a history buff, here are historical weather records:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_weather_records#Snow