Regardless of what the groundhog predicted this year, it is evident from recent weather events that he managed to say both the right thing and the wrong thing at the same time. Has it been snowy and cold? Yes. Have we hit mid-sixties just days after a flash freeze? Yes. But let’s not blame a confused rodent for reporting semi-inaccurately on a weather phenomenon his little groundhog brain can’t even comprehend. Instead, let’s look past the Ohio-weather-climate-change power duo that’s unrepentantly making us feel sniffly and tired (to an extent; disease IS upon us).
Spring is here, and do you know how I know?
The dirt piles are back.
You may have begun hearing the cheery buzz of weedwhackers outside your window at 7 am, like birds awakening from hibernation. Maybe you’ve decided to forgo your winter boots for crocs, and then stepped in a puddle— a clear indicator that weather is above freezing. However, the mild inconvenience which reigns supreme over those mentioned above is surely the dirt piles formed by landscapers appearing on South Campus.
I saw it myself this afternoon, walking down tenth avenue: mulch spilling over the edges of a flower bed, marking the release of warm-weather pheromones into the rancid south campus air. Soon, a large dirt mound will appear before Siebert Hall, announcing that the Easter Bunny is on his way. He literally will not do his job until the mulch pile appears.
When you notice mulch trails are afoot, and under foot, you need to pack your coats away STAT. And if you’re walking past Park-Strad to get to class, you’ll probably have to dodge landscapers leaf-blowing the entire sidewalk in erratic patterns. Be nice to these men, for without them, Spring would never arrive.