The Last Day of Winter
March 19, 2013
“There’s no question winter here can take a chunk out of you. Not like the extreme cold of the upper Midwest or the round-the-clock darkness of Alaska might, but rather the opposite. Here, it’s a general lack of severity — monotonous flat gray skies and the constant drip-drip of misty rain — that erodes the spirit.”
— Dylan Tomine, Closer to the Ground: An Outdoor Family’s Year on the Water, in the Woodland and at the Table
Moss-covered tractor, Whidbey Island
Lest you think I moan too much about the winter rain and gray skies, I am submitting today’s photo as proof that reality matches my glum outlook. I saw this moss-covered tractor in a field on Whidbey Island. This is what happens if you remain immobilized for too long during winter in the Pacific Northwest! The moss takes over!
So it is with great anticipation that we greet the vernal equinox in Seattle. It arrives in Seattle tomorrow, March 20th, at 4:02 a.m. Welcome Spring!
Of course, Spring here is not without its April showers — and March, May and June showers, too. But the longer days make a huge difference. Still, as Emily Dickinson knew, Spring is an “Experiment of Green.” The tractor might just be destined to stay a “green machine.”
Rain
by Frances May
Rain
on my window
Rain
on the ground
Rain
in the sky
Rain
all around
Rosemary's Blog 
March 19, 2013 at 6:15 am
Well, down here in drought country, we look at you with a combination of longing, envy and – let’s be honest here – resentment. After all, would you rather have all that green or this, from a day ago? There are a lot of people around here who are terrified we’re heading into another drought year. I’d take weeks of gloomy, just to get rid of the dust, preserve the trees and save the farmers!
March 19, 2013 at 8:31 am
Thanks for the comments today, which widened my perspective. That photo, Linda, is simply frightening — like we’re heading to (already in) another Dust Bowl. Drought is terrifying — water is life.
March 19, 2013 at 6:58 am
I’d love to see green moss. Everything here is buried under a heavy blanket of white snow. Ugh!
March 19, 2013 at 9:24 am
I really like the greens and the purple and the way they are balanced through this image.
March 19, 2013 at 10:38 am
I do understand the seemingly never ending gray dampness. I’ve lived hear about 35 years and every January it really hits rock bottom with the possible visual relief of a blanket of snow. This year, no luck. I have learned to observe and appreciate subtle colors and patterns in unexpected places over the years. The photo of the tractor is a wonderful example of that, just as Elisa recognized. It is amazing what we can chose to see in the physical world around us. My eyes welcomed that photo as a visual feast in the middle of winter’s usually drab offerings. All that said, I will be welcoming spring with a happy heart and flowers for the house!!! Perhaps, between raindrops, I’ll sprinkle sweet pea seeds about and anticipate the colors and aromas of the season to come!
March 19, 2013 at 11:38 am
I agree that we are lucky to have so much rain in Seattle. WE provide the balance for the rest of the non rain forest climates around the world. Everything has its Yin and Yang. I am thankful for the green we have and the mild climate that the Pacific breathes on us. Hail Spring and all the little fairy feet of sunshine yet to come. Hurrah!