Thursday, March 27, 2008

Anticipation

March and April can be difficult months in the American Midwest. Periods of warm, sunny weather induce spring fever, only to be doused by the next Alberta Clipper or Pacific Front. Cool, cloudy intervals put thoughts of May on hold and a late snow or killing freeze can annihilate what little progress has occurred. Those with apricot or peach trees (early blooming fruits) are especially keen to these fickle weather cycles.

Unlike wildlife, man is burdened with the capacity for anticipation. We know that warm days and balmy nights lie ahead and often resent the setbacks that nature throws our way. Wild creatures, on the other hand, are content to take one day at a time, governed by instinct and the lengthening daylight. They sense what they must do today, not what awaits them tomorrow. Patience and perseverance are their natural virtues and we would do well to absorb those traits.