I write this as spring break is screeching to a halt and the usual workday schedule begins bright and early in the morning with the ringing of the alarm clock. Yes, the break is over for the alarm clock, too.
A week off is always nice, but somebody - and you know who you are, Mother Nature - could have been just a bit more cooperative, don’t you think? Instead, you pulled one of your annoying bait and switch pranks on us, and those of us who stayed home rather than travel far away to tropical locations had no choice but to endure.
You taunted us with a glimpse of spring and then proceeded to whirl around like an ornery child throwing fits of snow flakes, sleet, rain and freezing temperatures. I wore my summer sandals once. Then, much to my dismay, you made sure the winter shoes, clothes and even gloves came back out.
“Not fair,” whined my inner child who wanted to play outside in short sleeves and flip flops. But you didn’t listen!
You gave us Saturday, the first day of the break as a warm and sunshiny teaser. Although it was nothing more than a caramelized carrot dangling in front of our noses, I took it to mean spring was here to stay. I spent much of that 70-degree day finishing up paper work at school so I would be free to enjoy the rest of the nice, springtime days ahead.
But those days, as it turned out, were scarce as hen’s teeth; and in hindsight, I should have known better than to choose a beautiful early spring day to do inside work when there were other possible options.
Although I am inclined to bemoan the fact that spring break was smudged with Mother Nature’s frigid fingerprints, I am glad to say the week was not a total wash. In reality, it held some very fine moments, especially on Tuesday when the skies cleared, the sun appeared and temperatures rose, allowing for a beautiful day hike to one of the most scenic places I have seen in the Ozarks wilderness.
The day held other treasures as well, including a special opportunity to share the hike with our grandson Glendon.
After obtaining permission from the landowner to visit this private spot, we packed some water and snacks and headed out with cameras in hand to explore the area. After reaching our destination, we made our way down the steep hillside and found the perfect place beside a waterfall at which to stop and rest, eat our snacks and soak up the scenery.
It was during this time that I became keenly aware of the specialness of this moment in time. I was enthralled by nature’s beauty surrounding me. I was calmed by the sounds and constant rhythm of the nearby falling water. We were warmed by the sun’s rays that shone down on us as we shared tasty snacks on the big mossy rock that served as a fine picnic table. There was no place on earth I would rather have been. I felt content to see the genuine interest in nature and photography developing in my grandson and I could think of little else that could be added in that moment to equal perfection.
We lingered long there as there was no need to hurry. I wanted to absorb this time and place and carry them with me always. And, I wanted to have more of those kinds of moments throughout the coming days.
Mother Nature, however, had other plans, and although I didn’t like the blustery days that followed, they couldn’t take from me the warm memories I held of that one special outing.
Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 6 on 03/27/2013