The Last Blizzard

Summary

The author is planning a week of intense celebration and personal rejuvenation after a series of April blizzards, aiming to break free from a winter rut by engaging in outdoor activities like a picnic at a local nature refuge.

Abstract

The author describes the aftermath of a severe blizzard in April, which was the fourth and most intense storm of the month in their town on the Great Plains of Turtle Island. Despite the harsh weather, the author remains optimistic, declaring the upcoming week as a time for celebration, with the peak on Wednesday when they plan to visit The Ponds, a local park rich in wildlife. The author admits to having been inactive and stuck in a routine throughout the winter, lacking the usual zest for life. Determined to change this, they plan to celebrate by going on a picnic, an activity they haven't done yet in 2018, and have pledged to continue this practice weekly for the rest of the year. The author is also making other changes, including disrupting daily routines and adjusting their diet, to climb out of their rut. The excitement of spring and the prospect of change have invigorated the author, who looks forward to this transformative week.

Opinions

The author is not complaining about the blizzard, suggesting a positive outlook despite adverse weather conditions.
They express a strong connection to The Ponds, valuing it as a nature refuge and a place for celebration and rejuvenation.
The author acknowledges personal responsibility for falling into a rut, rather than blaming the weather.
They are enthusiastic about picnics, believing that food tastes better outdoors and that picnics can contribute to personal well-being.
The author views spring as a time for transformation and renewal, embracing change with excitement.
There is a sense of self-reflection and a desire for more frequent enjoyment of life, as indicated by the pledge to go on weekly picnics.
The author seems to be contemplating a move to a place with milder win

Let the celebrating commence!

On Friday and Saturday of this weekend we experienced a particularly heinous blizzard here in the town in which I live on the Great Plains of Turtle Island. It was the fourth (and most severe) snowstorm we’ve had so far in April. And surely the last. Surely. But I’m not complaining. Really, I’m not.

This Sunday morning everything is covered with snow. But the sun is finally out and the melting has begun. At the height of the blizzard we experienced 60 to 70 mile per hour winds so it’s impossible to tell just how much snow we got. There are patches of ground where there is only about an inch of snow but there are also snow drifts that are two feet high. This morning, though, it is perfectly still without so much as a breeze.

I have proclaimed this week (April 15–21) as a week of intense celebration. The pinnacle of celebration will fall on Wednesday. I am off from work that day and by then it’s supposed to be sunny and warm. I will be dedicating that day completely to celebrating.

One of my plans for that day includes a walk out to The Ponds. There is a large park on the southern edge of town that has four large ponds (they are not quite big enough to be called lakes). The place is teeming with wildlife — especially in spring and fall. That park has been my nature refuge for the seven years I’ve been living here. It’s a long walk to get down there but it is well worth it.

But guess what? I have not been to The Ponds yet in 2018! I could blame the especially brutal winter we’ve had this year but that would just be an excuse. Really, it is my own fault. You see, I have fallen into a rut…

I’ve been in a rut all winter. I’ve gotten lazy. I’ve fallen into robotic routines. I haven’t been enjoying (celebrating) life as much as I usually do. As I’ve come to realize this I have vowed to break out of my rut. And that is what this week is all about.

Anyone who has read my article, Can Picnics Help Save the World? knows that I am a picnic freak — or at least I used to be. But guess what? I have not been on a single picnic yet this year! That will change on Wednesday when I go to The Ponds. I will pack a picnic and take it with me and have lunch out in the middle of nature. It’s a scientific fact that all food tastes better out of doors (as I explain in my article). But that picnic on Wednesday will only be my first picnic of the year for I have made a pledge to try to go on at least one picnic a week for the rest of the year.

I am climbing out of my rut, gosh darn it!

I am still formulating other plans for that day as well as for the rest of the week. I have already started breaking up some of the habitual routines I’ve fallen into. I have even made some adjustments to my diet. Change. Change. Change. I’m disrupting everything — and celebrating as I do so. I’m talking revolution.

Tomorrow I plan on going to the hardware store to buy a can of paint and some paint brushes. How freaking exciting is that?!

Gosh I love springtime! I go through this every year during the month of April. I’m not sure why I let winter shove me down into a rut every year but I do. I would truly love to move someplace where the winters are very mild. But would my Aprils then become less exciting?