Spring Has Sprung

Like so much of the country, spring weather has settled in at Presque Isle weeks ahead of time.  For the U.S. this reportedly is the fourth warmest winter since people started keeping statistics.  Global warming has dropped out of the news lately, but the odd weather patterns we've seen — an unusually cold winter last year, and a near record warm winter this year, unusual outbreaks of tornadoes and hurricanes — does make one wonder.  Is this the leading edge of unhappy things to come?

Climate Central, a New Jersey-based non-profit research group, issued a report yesterday predicting that, by mid-century, coastal flooding once considered rare could become an every-few-years disaster.  New York City, where 140,000 people live at or near the level of high tide, will be especially vulnerable to rising sea levels, especially when storm surge magnifies the problem.  Across the country, 3.7 million people are at risk, in particular those along the coasts in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, and California.

Nevertheless, a noisy and politically influential group of Americans continue to dismiss global warming as a Big Government Liberal Conspiracy against Motherhood, Flag, and Apple Pie.   What will these people say when rising sea levels swamp their expensive beachfront condos in Florida?  Of course — they'll blame the government for not warning them!

In any case, this week the temperature here has hit 62, the sun has been shining brightly, and now my daffodils are starting to poke their noses above soil level.  Daffodils are my all-time favorite spring flower.

Daffodils break the surface at the southeast corner of the house.

Bethany, mother of the bride, sent a photo from the March 3rd wedding of Emma and Rob at Martha Mary Chapel in Dearborn.  In 1984 I married Bethany and Dave at Christ Church-Detroit just a few months after my ordination as a deacon.

As it happens, Bethany's mother, Katherine, was my parishioner first at Christ Church, and then twenty-odd years later at St. Michael's in Grosse Pte. Woods.  Katherine passed away shortly after I moved to Grand Haven, and is greatly missed by all who knew her. •••