Spring Signs

As the human demarcation of the beginning of  spring denotes that it will and must begin tomorrow , one comes to terms with the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, it isn't going to happen according to  anyone's will, want, or calendar.

I catch myself looking for signs of this elusive and long awaited, albeit artificially imposed quarter of the cycle of the earth's turning. 

 I imagine perhaps that there are more birds about the yard and feeder. 

I think the sun is just a bit stronger than it would even have been in January, if it had indeed actually shone during that dull introduction to the year of incomparable amounts of  snow, bad roads, along with consumption of record amounts of burned fuel to supply light and heat to a society's infrastructure that has come to rely on its ready use. 

 I insist on wearing my light winter jacket and pass by my high topped mukluks in favour of my regular albeit rugged ankle leather boots.


It perhaps is a time of hope, trust and even delusion that within a month  the roads will be dry, water will be streaming only where it is welcome and expected, and the rebirth of the creatures and greenery of the earth will burst forth , thankfully, soundlessly, at least to the human ear.

But until that time one must pay attention to other signs in order to be safe. 
Signs that have definite and non seasonal meanings.
Signs that are provided for not only direction but also for safety.


I am talking about the signs in your vehicle.  The signs on your dashboard that describe in what gear your car is in, be it either high , low, neutral, park, and yes, even reverse.

 

The importance of this sign was made very clear to me this end of winter morning as I proceeded to try to clear the windshield of last night's drift of snow by merely turning on the wipers and letting physics and mechanics do the job. 

 But as ice and frost would have it, the wipers refused to engage and I hastily jumped out of the vehicle leaving the driver's side door open and ran around the back bumper to the front on the passenger's side  (as there is always that chance that if you close the door with the keys in the ignition it will magically lock), and proceeded to brush and tap ice off the windshield when the vehicle slowly and mysteriously started rolling backward.  

 As the snow bank on the driver's side was too high to climb over I had to again run around the back of the moving vehicle and jump in and hit the brakes.  The gear indicator showed that when I had put the cold and stiff  vehicle into what I THOUGHT was Park was instead Reverse.