We cheered on Groundhog Day when the groundhog didn’t see her shadow. This signals the arrival of an early spring. Right around the time when we would have been expecting early signs of spring, we had snowfall instead. I dusted off the sleds and we hit the slopes. We got in a few runs before muddy earth and new shoots of grass started to appear in the tracks. It did feel like early spring, kind of. Except we hadn’t really had winter yet so it felt weird to welcome spring.
The effects of climate change are real. It’s hard to know how to dress anymore. Or what we should keep to prepare for, basically, anything to come our way. This added a new dimension to my normally, energizing spring cleaning. Last month, I was ready to swap out the boots and snowgear for sunscreen, broad-brimmed hats, and sandals. Luckily something distracted me. Shortly after the snowstorm came.
We have a bin in the entryway for seasonal outdoor gear. However, with all the strange weather, the bin accumulated something for every season. It’s got tick spray, winter gloves, sun hats, cold weather hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Even now that the temperature seems like it will stay above double digits (which in Canada means it’s at least 50 degrees, for my American readers), I’m still torn about removing the cold weather clothes. My winter coat is already in the closet. Once that goes in, I refuse to take it out again until fall. But that doesn’t stop me from layering up.
All of this impacts my approach to spring cleaning. I find I’m hesitating and waffling more about what to keep or toss. I feel confused about what to store for next winter or leave out for another random springtime snow storm! Added to my climate-change induced indecision are leftovers from the pandemic. I’ve been steadily weeding clothes out the last few years. Sometimes it feels as though I haven’t purged enough. Then a strange weather event happens. The whole time I’m hoping I didn’t purge the one thing, that I almost never wear but hang on to, “just in case.” As I go through my closets now, I’m mindful of different things, such as durability and versatility, things I might not have considered just a few years ago.