Day 4 - 81 -- Yet Another Storm

Sun began the day, but temperatures increased only after the clouds began to return. I managed to get out for groceries before the precipitation began this evening. A few raindrops fell as I returned home in late afternoon. This turned to snowflakes for a short while and then nothing. Something wicked is headed this way into the overnight and tomorrow. Forecasters call it a blizzard. Temperatures will drop so all the mud and slush will freeze solid and new snow will fall on top of the icy base. A major wind will create reduced visibility with blowing snow. After the storm, a couple of sunny days are expected.

Waiting for the storm to begin brings a degree of tension -- something that is already present in large amounts. Should there be another snow day, plans will have to be reworked again for the remaining lectures. Not an impossible task, but one that has been done a few times already. The repetition of it all has made people world and weather weary. At work today, I spoke with a number of people -- students, staff and faculty -- each of whom felt a bit overwhelmed at the enormity of work remaining to be done in 12 days, which very well could be 11 days. A few days after this time period, final exams begin bringing with them many pounds of paper to read and respond to as well as to read and grade. The need for something healing and cathartic is palpable. Whether the weather will do this for us all or only create further stresses remains to be seen. 

The song for today carries with it, melodically and lyrically, many of these feelings. The repetitive melody lines bring a feeling of deja vu as well as act as an expression of tension. Yet, this song manages to produce a degree of calm, or maybe it is just resignation. Either way, it works. The singer's voice accentuates the ups and downs of dealing with storms -- both literal and metaphorical. Enjoy! 

The Blizzard -- Judy Collins