First Day of Spring on Brady Street? Nope, Not Yet.

The neighborhood is beginning to simmer, like a long-dormant volcano. Seismic energy erupts through the fissures of society here on Brady Street as the sun shines and the temperatures warm. Children pour out of houses onto trampolines. Neighbors emerge without coats on trash day, and we get to exchange more hellos. It’s easier to park cars along the street because you don’t have to work around the snow piles that never got removed. The rumblings of spring have begun.

But I’ll know that spring is truly back when the balloon and the turkey disappear.

I noticed the turkey first back in the cold and snow of February.

“What a great idea!” I told Marnell.

The neighbors had hung a turkey, wrapped in plastic as they come from the store, from the top of their back porch. Why not? Why waste space in the freezer when the outside is a freezer? In fact, why waste electricity on a freezer at all? I briefly contemplated, and then discarded, a system of plastic totes on the back porch.

The turkey held on through the beginning of March as the snow melted.

“I hope they didn’t forget about it,” I said.

I noticed the balloon around the same time as the turkey.

From our kitchen window, I can see the crown of a giant tree that towers above the houses of several neighbors. Actually, I can see a number of trees, which is nice. But in this one tree caught a silvery piece of plastic in its very highest branches.

I think it was Marnell who suggested we train a squirrel to go get it down. Ha. That shows the size of the odds of it ever leaving. The silvery balloon has survived a number of strong winds and remains fastened tightly. So our only hope of having the eyesore removed is for the tree to bud and leaf out. I’m pretty sure the plastic will be hidden when that happens.

One day recently, springtime came 50%.

The turkey was gone.

Woo-hoo! Only to wait for the balloon to disappear and it will be truly spring!

A few nights later as I walked out of the hospital, feet aching, bitter cold hit me. The walk to the parking garage was cold. The trip up the elevator to the fourth floor was cold. My car was cold.

Worst sign of all? At home, the turkey has returned to hang off the neighbor’s porch.

Not springtime yet!

Over here waiting. For a turkey-less porch, and a tree with no balloon visible.

Then, it will be time for another small but seismic packet of energy to break out of hiding, a new human being rumbling onto the block. In our house!

Then it will be spring!

Announcements

Next week’s post: The Crossword Puzzle PJ’s return!

• The Brady Street Boys Book One Trapped in the Tunnel is so close to making it through the design. I am sharing a sneak peek today with the email list. Soon I’ll put it up as a pre-order, and let you know how you can get an e-book for free if you like to leave reviews.
• We are trying to get ahead in audio CD production for From the White House to the Amish. This is something I would never have attempted without Marnell! He makes it look easy.