It has been a winter of all or nothing. Sunshine or endless grey, bitterly cold, mild temps, ice or feet of snow. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. So it is small wonder that I was taken aback while driving up 71 by Cedar Lake. As I approached the south end of the lake, enjoying the sunshine, I saw that here was a darkness shadowing the end of the lake. My mind went to where the trees stood along the shore, where the sun was angling across the landscape. Nothing made sense to my eyes. Why would there be a shadow there? On the lake?

Eyes back on the road, because I’m driving, and I realized what it was. There were small clouds in the sky. It was only a shadow of a cloud, covering only part of the lake. In this winter of all or nothing, I had forgotten that it could be both cloudy and sunny at the same time! It is strange what our eyes and minds start to accept as normal. It seems like it has always been winter and always will be. When we are in the depths of summer, we can not really call to mind what snowdrifts are like, the bitter cold wind. But we are in the time of changes. Soon the fish houses must be off the lake, although the lake still seems frozen solid. Daylight savings time will soon kick in and evenings with daylight will become a thing again, giving time for nature walks after supper, in not so cold winds. The ice that has held the road in its grip for what seems like years will slowly melt away. Mud will come. Then the green. I have observed that on the road, where the small springs and creeks creep along. There is not only a lack of snow… but green. It’s coming…