Minnewaska Musings

By Paul Gremmels 

Have you ever wished that someone would have invented  “Clap-on/Clap-off”  Long Johns by now?  I have. Especially for spring weather in Minnesota. I mean, you obviously keep your house warm when the outside temperatures are cold. And you also dress accordingly when going outside in cold temperatures. But the going between these two environments is what becomes problematic, not to mention the roller coaster of extremes that spring weather brings. Springtime in the North Country is when the entryway of your house begins to look like the staging area for a D-Day invasion.

I started the morning by bumping up the thermostat for our furnace. It was a cold, early April morning and the forecast told of highs in the sixties by early afternoon. I looked at the frost, which had turned the garage roof white and I was immediately doubtful.

Here in the North Country, we tend to brag about the extremes in our weather. Especially, if they happen within hours or mere minutes of each other. The morning frost on the garage roof was no exception. Many of us have scraped our windshields before heading off to work in the morning with the heater on full bore only to return home in the late afternoon with the A/C running.

I’m also guessing that the lost and found boxes at our area schools are overflowing in the springtime. It is certainly frustrating as a parent, that your child has lost their hat and gloves somewhere during their day and simply amazing that they misplaced their coat. How could you not notice that you didn’t have your coat? Blame it on springtime.

It was the weekend and cleaning up the garden in preparation for spring planting was the order of the day. Since we were kids, the idea of “dressing in layers” has been hammered into our heads and that day was definitely a “layers” day. A day of chopping, pulling, raking and tilling had stripped me down to a T-shirt and jeans. My coat, stocking hat and long sleeved shirt were hung about the garden like some kind of abstract art display. I was also once again thinking about what a wonderful invention those Clap-on/Clap-off long johns would be.

As the late afternoon approached, the spring sunshine was less powerful and a light south wind had picked up. It still amazes me how sensitive the hairs on my arms are, the first time they are exposed to the slightest breeze in the springtime. I suspect after being covered up for nearly six months is the reason.

By the time I had put all the tools away and collected my armful of clothing, it was getting quite cold and certainly the night would bring another heavy frost. Entering the house, I piled the clothes on top of a heavy winter coat, an assortment of wool hats, baseball caps, various sets of gloves and kicked off my boots into a pile of footwear ranging from pack boots to flip flops. I am certain that the piles in the entryway will be whittled down by June, depending upon the weather of course. I looked out the window toward the garden and saw that my stocking hat was still hanging on the gate post. Blame it on Springtime.