The Ice Cream Man Cometh..

The weather has been absolutely lovely here the last few weekends, but I've been weary about getting my hopes up for Spring. The first glimpse of seasonal change came the weekend of January 20th. Weird to remember the date, you say? Well, that was the day I met my students and few other teachers at the movie theatre to watch The Lightening Thief. I skipped a jacket that day. It was a touch overcast, but nice enough to make me long for more..... no such luck; a light dusting of snow greeted me a few morning later. I was forced to don my heavy coat again. Since then, the days have been cool in the mornings, but quite pleasant in the afternoons. I'd wear my heavy coat to school, only to shed it and throw it in the passenger seat when I left my classroom. The sun had come out nearly everyday, but still I wasn't convinced. Eventhough I'm always ready for Spring to begin, I was hesitant; I know the trickery of Mother Nature. I don't rely on the gentle tilt and perpetual rotation of our planet to notify me that warmer weather has arrived for good. Oh no, I look for much more solid signs that the season is turning. One of them I saw last weekend. I heard the old familiar sound all at once. It was unexpected, but so welcome that inside I was jumping up and down like a child with a dollar to spend. Creeping down our street blasting the well-known summer anthem was the ice cream truck. Proudly proclaiming the arrival of sunny days with the ice cream classic, "Turkey in the Straw" , the white be-labeled van beckoned the neighborhood children who were out stretching their winter legs. "Spring!" a child's voice bubbled in my head. While I was beginning to grow more sure of Spring, the practical adult in me hushed the happy little girl running barefoot in my mind's grassy yard. "wait," she whispered, "it's too early!" I wanted to believe it wasn't. Although I hadn't needed it in several days, I kept my big coat on the rack, just in case.
Then, yesterday while driving to a local bakery, I spotted the surest sign of all that warmer weather is here. The Suzie Q is open for business! Suzie Q is a local, old fashioned mom and pop drive up burger joint. The image of this feel-good greasy spoon is an icon for this town. And it's seasonal -closing down in the colder months. If the Suzie Q is ready and willing to fire up the grills, then I'm ready to fully accept that Springtime has arrived! When we got home yesterday afternoon, I put my heavy coat in the closet. Welcome, old friend; I missed you!