February Wrap Up

I remember my first February in Seattle. I had this feeling that something was missing. I realized it was winter. I'd missed winter. And then the daffodils started coming up mid-month. I was convinced they were suicidal little daffodils, but they knew the climate better than I did.

I now take it for granted that the daffodils will come up in February (one year it was the end of January when they started coming up). This year, it has seemed colder than normal. More overnights at freezing. More snow: I woke up to snow Thursday, much to my surprise. Thursday was also the day I saw the first daffodils. Walking into work, I saw their green stems coming up. Going to lunch, I saw them in full bloom. I don't think the snow mattered to them.

February has always been the month when I feel myself start to bloom. The days get perceptively longer (although I'll admit it was only the amazingly short Seattle Winter days that got me to consciously notice).

I realized the other day it was ten years ago this month that I moved to West Seattle. I'll skip the cliches about how we don't notice how much time has passed, although I will take the opportunity to blame W for it. I spent eight years living across the street from the Puget Sound. I had not thought I'd be there that long, at least not in the same apartment. And when I left I didn't move away from the place I'd moved to.

My parting February thought is this:
Did anyone else hear less about Black History Month this year? Is it because we are living black history?