Spring is gearing up on as warmer weather takes a stab at winter

Did you hear it early last week? It was the sound of cars driving on slushy roads. Big deal? Well, after the Polar Vortex parked on the state over the past few weeks, the sound of slush is a welcome signal that spring is just around the corner.

For most Minnesotans winter is no big deal. Snowmobilers love the winter, ice fishermen and women, ice skaters; kids sliding on area hills spend time outside and don’t stare at iPad screens.

For those of us who would rather listen to raindrops than snowplows pushing snow back into an already snow blown driveway, winter becomes a pain. Just when you think the snow stops and temperature will surface above freezing, another polar plunge breaks loose from the Arctic and the bones tighten, the nose drips and life is lived out between a warm house and a cold car that’s covered with ice and snow.

Spring is scheduled to take over from winter on Saturday, March 20. That’s only 16 days from now. That means tulips will begin to break the surface of once frozen garden turf. It means that trees will begin to leaf out. Yes, spring even signals the return of the pesky mosquito, the Minnesota state bird.

Spring also means fertilizing the lawn that was not given that preserving application in October.

I like to think of spring as a reward for snowbound Minnesotans who managed to survive a winter of sub-zero temperatures, a viral pest that shut us down, forced most to stay indoors and closed most schools.

Perhaps with the coming of warmer weather, coupled with vaccinations, COVID-19 will fade from our consciousness. Think of it: maskless games of baseball, softball, golf, picnics, and more outdoor events in an ever-increasing warmth from our Sun.

We’ll go from bundling up in down-filled parkas to light jackets. We’ll put away our Uggs. We’ll put a gasoline preservative in our snow blowers and snowmobiles and store them for the winter.

One more thing that is associated with spring: potholes. After pavement has been subjected to frigid temperatures and the warming days of spring, potholes become a way of life. Our cars take a beating from these monsters of the roadway. They punish our car’s front-end alignment, shorten the life of our tires and test our shock absorbers.

Don’t let a few potholes steal you enthusiasm for the warmer days of spring.

For the staff of the DCI, it’ll be our first full week in our new office space at 301 South Mantorville Ave., suite 200.

STREET POTHOLES

This is the only place in the world where the pavements consist exclusively of holes with asphalt around them. And they are the most economical in the world, because holes never get out of repair.

Mark Twain