This page: Signs of Life Contents Previous

Signs of Life

Local friends have told me that in the 1940s, Fujino had more than 50 winter days each year with lows dipping below -10° C. What part of Fujino those figures refer to, I have no idea, but the same friends relate that in this, the first year of the new millennium, each winter now has an average of only 2.8 days that drop below -10°. In fact, we haven't had a single day with -10° temperatures at Green Gables this winter, although one day last week came close with -9°, and the low this morning was -7.4°. (NB: See update below.) Late January is the dreariest time of year in Fujino. The surrounding mountains lie in lethal sleep under a rusty flannel of winter brown, cedars damask with pollen. The heavy blanket on the hills tries hard to blunt even sound. Early yesterday morning, I walked out to a dull rapping that sounded "nok, nok, nok" from a dead tree high above our frozen spring. Even with a pair of binoculars, it was difficult to pick out the shape against the dark gray of early morning and dying wood—until he moved, and I saw his red headband. The tapper was a Japanese Green Woodpecker (aogera) trying without much success to crack an echo from the sullen bark. Back in our garden, our summer herbs lie listless, tall grasses flat and morbid under a frigid, glistening white tissue of death. But in one corner, a single clump of narcissus braves the frost and, almost hesitantly, whispers, Winter is not the end. January 28, 2000 Update: February 17, 2000 The temperature this morning was -9.2° C, a new low for this year. At the same time, the high pressure driving the current cold front from China is pushing very dry air, so while my car had almost no frost on its windows this morning, chapped skin is a problem.

To return to your previous location, use your browser's "BACK" button, or if you're truly lost, click your heels together three times while repeating "There's no place like home . . ."

Green Gables: A Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township
by Norman Havens nhavens@gol.com
Updated: April 20, 2002

URL: http://www2.gol.com/users/nhavens/