Thoughts of Spring

As some of you know, periodically I do an “over the phone” live radio show with Public Radio Station, KBRW in Barrow, Alaska.  For those of you complaining about the cold and the reluctance of spring to show its face this year, here is what was going on in Barrow Alaska last week.  While I was waiting to go on the air, I listened to the Barrow weather report.  For last Thursday it went something like this: High today, ten to twelve below zero, low tonight, minus twenty-five.  It sure puts complaining about a plus 40 degrees in perspective.

            Here is a little of what I shared with the Barrow audience about spring:

In spring we shake loose the shackles of winter and make big plans and think big thoughts.  We celebrate what has passed and look forward to the future with joy and hope.  In no other season is there such anticipation.  Spring is melting snow and mud.  Mud in the road.  Mud in the fields.  Mud tracked into the kitchen. Spring is maple syrup and flooding streams, green grass and frisky calves, open windows and cows on pasture.

            Different from summer and winter when we speak of mid-seasons, we do not speak of mid-spring, because there is no such thing.  Spring comes in fits and starts, one day warm and sunny, the next day cold and even snowy.  And then spring abruptly disappears and we have summer.  One thing that is different in spring—the amount of light each day increases as spring days pass.  A glorious contrast to the dark and gloomy days of winter.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  For 22 years I taught a week-long writing course at The Clearing in Door County.  This year, rather than a week-long workshop, I will be doing two, one-day workshops.  The dates are Saturday, June 22, 9-4, and Saturday, November 2, 9-4.  Contact The Clearing for further information and/or to sign up (www.theclearing.org).

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Patience, patience.  Spring is out there, waiting its turn.

UPCOMING EVENTS (Partial List):

April 8, Poynette Library, 6:30 p.m. Garden Wisdom

April 16, Frederic Library, 2:00 p.m. Garden Wisdom, Rural Wit and Wisdom

April 18, Monroe Arts Center, 2-4 p.m. Writing Workshop and evening panel presentation.

April 19, Waupun Library, 6:30 p.m. Stories from the Land

April 23, Larry Meiller Show, Wisconsin Public Radio, 11-11:45.

April 25, Walworth Big Foot Historical Society, 6:00 p.m. Horse Drawn Days

April 30, Barnes and Noble, West Madison, 7:00 p.m. Launch of Limping Through Life and Letters From Hillside Farm.

May 1, Downtown Rotary, Madison.  Noon

May 4, Plainfield Library, 10:00 a.m. Ames County Novels.

May 8, 6:30, Wisconsin Historical Society Museum (Downtown Madison) 

Breweries of Wisconsin.  Dinner, need reservations.

May 9, Reedsburg Library, 7:00 p.m. Garden Wisdom

May 14, Trempealeau Library, 7:00 p.m. Jerry Apps: A Farm Story.

May 15, Magers and Quinn Bookstore, Minneapolis.  Presentation and booksigning.

May 18, Dregni’s, Westby. 10-2:00, Book signing.

May 19, Books and Company, Oconomowoc. 2:00 p.m. Book signing

May 22, Women’s Group, Madison, Noon.  (More info to come)

May 23, Richfield Historical Society, 7:00 p.m. Stories from the land

May 24-31, Colorado

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING “JERRY APPS: A FARM STORY” DVD

DVD Jerry Apps: A Farm Story List $16.95 The Patterson’s price only $15.00 ($20.00 shipped)
Special Bundle Offer exclusively by the Patterson:
Tamarack River Ghost & Jerry Apps: A Farm Story – List $43.90
The Patterson’s Price Only $35.00 ($43.00 shipped)

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St. PO Box 305
Wild Rose, WI 54984

(All items are sold by the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library. They will accept checks or cash, they’re sorry but they don’t have any way to accept credit or debit cards, checks should be made out to the Friends of Patterson Memorial Library.