Late season snow

Island snowman

Maine likes to play tricks on you when it comes to the end of winter. It’s March 24th and it snowed overnight. The ground is blanketed in a few inches of white, heavy snow. From what I’ve experienced so far, the state jumps from winter directly into summer. Spring gets forgotten and replaced with a short period affectionately referred to as mud season. Hopefully today marks the last storm of winter – but you never know.

That said, March snow isn’t all that bad. Since we’re under still under coronavirus lockdown – balancing working from home with childcare – Quinn and I headed down to the shore to take advantage of the recent dump.

Snowpeople in Maine’s coastal communities have a certain flair unmatched by any city snowman or snowwomen I’ve ever seen. We benefit from an abundance of seaweed and other trinkets washed up by the swells. We fashioned a nose out of an empty mussel shell, eyes out of two pebbles smoothed by years in the surf, and a mess of seaweed for hair. Kelp dreadlocks are hip, mon.

I fear that our snowman won’t last more than an hour or two given the rising temperature and noontime sun. That’s okay. For an hour it’ll greet ferry-goers and remind them even in challenging times such as these we can all delight in a little bit of play.