Manic Weather Moods

We don't need no Valium here in North Idaho.  We don't need no Zoloft!

Well, maybe some of us don't.

In many cases, a little dose of good weather every so often can boost a mood faster than any high-priced pharmaceutical.

Case in point.

Yesterday was supposed to be a "top o' the morning to ya" day.  After all, it was St. Patrick's, and everybody's happy on St. Patrick's Day, right?

Here at the Lovestead, all that top o' the morning stuff took a while to rev up.

When I grabbed a cup of coffee for my early-morning computer time, it was still pretty dark outside. 

"Looks like more rain," I said to Bill.

"No, snow," he said.

"Did you say no rain?" I asked.

"No rain . . . snow," he said.

Instant mood shift.

Two straight days of rain, bad enough to cause roads to be closed in the south part of the county, had been enough, I thought.

Snow on St. Patrick's Day????

"Ugh!" along with a few other under-the-breath grumbles,  dribbled from my lips as I trudged upstairs with the coffee.

When I clicked on to the Internet, the "ugh's" got much uglier and louder.

I stomped down the stairs, protesting wildly, not mildly, that "we can't even enjoy our indoor stuff with this %@@#, *@%##$ crap!"

Bill sat quietly reading as I put on my boots, grabbed the broom and went outside to sweep a layer of sloppy snow off the satellite dish ON MARCH 17!

After a few minutes back at the computer, I worked myself into civil mood by playing some Celtic music.

Once outside again, the mood sank a bit as wet, happy dogs kept jumping on my legs, leaving big wet spots and wet, wet snow continued to fall.

Maybe it will quit soon and melt before noon, I hoped.

That did not happen.

The sloppy stuff fell nonstop until about 1:45 p.m.  

In fact, the sun came out, almost in synch with the disappointing ending to another ZAGS season.  

We all agreed, however, as did the commentator in this morning's paper, that the ZAGS played an impressive game.

"There's next year," I said to family members as they walked out the door to go home. The end of ZAGS season means the opening of new spring chapters for us.

More rain fell yesterday afternoon, but I walked in it anyway.  Eventually, when it quit,   Bill and I were able to do a couple of projects outside.

Now, this morning I'm noticing----as I have many, many times in my life---a major mood shift.

The instant I walked out the door I could feel the positive vibes.  

No rain.  Comparatively dry, slightly frozen ground, a crisp feel to the air as temperatures dipped just enough last night to give us some hard-packed snow.

I didn't even care if happy dogs jumped on my pant legs cuz they had dry feet.

I opened the barn door and saw that even Jonas Kitty felt the exhilaration of a nicer day as he raced down the aisle to greet me.

Horses were happy.  Stall cleaning was easy.  

I could even walk the fields and through the woods this morning.  Even watched a grouse stalk along through the woods in front of me.

As much as I cuss North Idaho weather, I guess it has its good side in the  mood adjustment department.  

Rather than remaining on a steady-as-she-goes line, our moods follow a definite zig zag pattern.

On this day after the bad ZAG day, I'm definitely ZIGGING, and it feels oh so good. 

Happy Spring, I hope!