As I type, rain continues to fall, relentless dripping that soon will wash away the crust of snow left during the storm of the last two days. It is still cold outside. My walk (desperately needed) is now looking unlikely to happen. I will have to get over that small setback without undue crankiness to loved ones.
Yesterday folks were posting photos of ice-encased branches: gorgeous crystalline chill forms of wonder. Trees have fallen, and hydro crews are still working to restore power to our region. We lost power only briefly but were bereft without internet, phone and television service for hours. Everyone was home, squabbling for rights to the computer as it flickered in and out of consciousness. That's a revelation in itself, as worthy of contemplation as spring's fickle reversals: how dependent we have become on the steady drip of the electronic IV. And not just for entertainment, but for everything: information, commerce, communication of all kinds, and of course, work. These are legitimate needs in the age of no-interesting-paper-mail. Still, the realization of electrodependency makes me want to retreat to an unwired room for regular bouts of disconnection, just to make sure I can still cope.
These pansies were advertised as frost-resistant, and they've certainly passed the test. The photos were taken about a week ago after a night of below-freezing temperatures. The flowers sulked, claiming to be camera-shy, but sprang upright soon enough, tracking the sun. Today, after two days of being battered by freezing rain and wind, they look much the same. I'm not sure how modern horticulture has accomplished this feat--are these Frankenpansies or what? All I know is, they provide today's lesson in resilience.
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