Marsh Marigold

The weather hasn't turned warm. There's still more than a hint of frost at daybreak, and with a stiff wind blowing, we're back, a la Robert Frost in "Two Tramps in Mud Time," in the middle of March, complete with the need to don long underwear and keep the wood stove stoked and running. Still, it was Earth Day, and the 50th anniversary of that celebration of all things ecological. Because of the pandemic, we couldn't gather together for a group environmental hug, but I wasn't going to let COVID-19 and teeth-chattering cold keep me from a hike in honor of the planet—and an opportunity to stand in solidarity against the bastards in Washington actively engaged in trashing the Earth. So I trekked. However grudgingly, spring is in process, and here's a joyous sign of the reawakening: the blooming of the Marsh Marigolds. The floral sunshine is instant warmth... well, metaphorically, at least.