Spring appears to be right around the corner, and I am, to say the least, ready. First off, it has been a pathetic winter in Wisconsin. Official snowfall totals are under 20″, and most all of that fell in little dustings, they blew off to some new locale… Boston maybe. There is just not much out there, and we shamefully did not leave our house much to play in it. I am a lover of winter – I really am – but I have learned that I am truly a lover of snow. Last year we had the snow, but we also had the coldest winter on record. Over 62 days in a row we never saw temperatures above 0. Never! It was painful. This year, not quite as frigid, but where the heck was the snow? Winter without snow is like a potluck without dessert… so much unrealized potential.
By next week we should be reaching up into the 50s. The birds are already getting more vocal, despite the fact that it is 12 below. They know. They can sense it. They are calling to the warmer air-masses, begging them to come and overtake us. I am thrilled at the idea of getting out there and smelling the damp earth wafting up through the springtime runoff. Breathing deeply the moist air that will replace the sharp dry vacuum that currently resides out of doors. Through the stuffiness of the house and the smoke of the fireplace, I can just make out the sweet aroma of springtime, peeking through the recesses of memory and hopefulness.
Our Bearded Dragon woke up last week, worked out the kinks of a lizard body overwintered and stiff, and has been throwing himself against the doors and windows ever since. Sad, really, but the boy wants some grass between his toes. I understand. I want some grass between my toes. As he runs around the house in circles, seeking any way he can escape into what he is sure is paradise, I feel for him. I also feel like him. Get me outta’ here.
Tucked happily into the gorgeous hills and woods of Wisconsin, I write about life, faith, and the humor that both require. 
Tales From the Nexus 
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