The Great Liberation

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Greetings all!

This one was originally one of my Toastmasters projects but seeing that Spring has come around, I just had to peg this one on the board.

Enjoy reading!


The Great Liberation


I took an extra long walk on the way back from work earlier today. Why would I do that? Well, the sun hung high and bright, the temperatures prompted me to peel off my parka, the sidewalks became exposed anew and ice-free, so no more looking like something out of an old Bug’s Bunny cartoon trying to navigate them. The one-lane streets regained their original two-lane width, the two-lane streets regained their original four-lane width, and the Himalayan mounds of snow gave way to the original panoramic view of my surroundings. Ah! The feel of walking on terra firma again!

As I watched the rivulets flow along the curbs, I felt I could relate to the late Leonardo DaVinci with his sketches of flowing water. I was also reminded of my elementary school days where the puddle and rivulet-riddled schoolyard became my Lilliput and I pretended to be Gulliver designing and building its network of canals and the heels of my rain boots were the earth-moving device. Be mindful of puddles if you’re walking along a busy street. Some motorists have a warped sense of humor. When I got back home, I took a few moments to meditate to the drip-drip melody of water droplets falling from the eaves as the snow melted on the sun-drenched roof. I watched a squirrel frolic among the shrubs and fence line that emerged from the snowdrift. At the foot of the wall, patches of grass peeked from the receding snow and the first hardy plants began to poke through from the flower beds.

The skating rinks are now deteriorating in the warming weather. On the slopes, downhill skiers take in the last of the ski season rejoicing in the balmy air before the slopes become too barren. Soon, the sleds will also be silenced for another 9 months or so. On the boardwalk, the people come out in throngs seeking relief from the months of cabin fever. Dog owners, by all means be out there with your pets, but don’t forget that stoop and scoop is a four-season endeavor as you can see by the mammoth heaps of you-know-what that emerge from the snowdrifts at this time.

Look! There’s a robin. The sure-fire sign that Old Man Winter is about to give up it’s strangle hold on us all, but never without breaking a final icy wind before leaving. So let’s seize the moment, this magic moment. I also spotted my first Great Blue Heron of the season. The first turkey vultures also glide into our neck of the woods around this time. The seagulls also come back from their winter absence. Let’s not forget the vee formation we saw pointing north: a flock of geese. To that, I’ll add the bald eagle I saw hunting ducks on the thawing ice of the French River. I also watched a sparrow hawk doing what looked like a mating-call aerial dance. When gliding, it looked like a little Spitfire airplane.

Easter is just around the corner, another celebration of spring. My first thoughts are the chocolate bunny we all woke up to on that Sunday morning, the age-old family tradition of catching the church service (don’t you dare miss it!) and then the gorgeous dinner of turkey or ham shared with the extended family. All of this was had on an extended weekend between two short school weeks.

Another annual ritual is the March Break which we so welcomed in our kiddy years but now call for more creativity on our part as parents. We could go visit a sugar shack. Real maple syrup with those pancakes! Mmmmmm! I’m sure the science centre will be quite a beehive. The city’s Parks and Recreation department have put out a schedule of events. Let’s see what they have up their sleeves. And if the weather is really, really good, we’ll all go fishing and even if the fish don’t bite, the kids can and do get very inventive for themselves in those conditions.

Ice fishing season is just about over but this is my favorite time to do it. Ah! The feel of jigging at the hole while catching some rays instead of a chill and the absence of that skin of ice that usually coats the surface at the hole and candle-like on my line.

Meanwhile back home, seedlings of tomato, pepper, and garden herbs adorn my sun-facing windows. Soon, we’ll be putting away the parkas, big sweaters, and long johns.

At the end of the day we cap off this bit of free living by warming up the barbeque and taking in the last warm rays as the sun sinks in the west. For us grown-ups, a frothy pint is the order once the car keys are hung.

Some call it The Great Awakening, I call it The Great Liberation.