January was bitterly cold in Colorado and to make things worse, we got a lot of snow. Scoping the yard midmonth, I was wondering if I would need a shovel on Groundhog Day. But as the month wound down, the chill moved on and February started out unseasonably warm. Each coin has two sides.
These next few days, as we feel the “heat wave” of midwinter, I fully intend to find a comfortable rock outcropping and stretch out on it to get a little warm sun. You can’t beat warm rays of light bathing your fur after chilly month. (Well, maybe a deep bowl of seeds, nuts, flowers and some native grasses would come pretty close.)
But there’s that other side of the coin. Nice as a warm sunny day is in the winter, tradition holds an ominous undertone. I did indeed see my shadow and that says winter is not over yet. In fact, I’m looking for a chill to settle in, about a week from now.
If you’re in Colorado, enjoy the midwinter reprieve, but don’t put that coat away just yet. Mother Nature isn’t quite ready for summer just yet.

There’s a shadow here. Definitely.