Christos Anesti

It takes a long time for Spring to arrive. In October, Winter can be seen lurking around the outskirts of town... leaning against a shabby storefront smoking cigarettes, leering at your best girl, making the children uneasy. Soon Winter is making ugly scenes right in the middle of Main street, howling and throwing snow all over your yard. Oh, he'll go away for a day or two, maybe even a week... but it is soon clear to all of us that he is here to stay, really settled in for the long haul. Winter has moved in and he isn't going anywhere; he bothers you on your way to the car every morning, he says rude things to you and your loved ones every time you go outside and makes every person hurry indoors. He rules my little town for five months without contest.

Then, maybe late in March, maybe early in April, Spring arrives and begins to gently suggest that Winter might find a different town to pester, maybe someplace in Siberia... but just maybe it's time to leave Livingston alone for a while. This pisses Winter off to no end, let me tell you... and now it's time for Winter and Spring to fight for another couple of months, trading punches and biting ears until winter is finally too tired to continue whereupon he slouches gloomily off to ruin someone else's mood.

Very shortly after, Spring will tip her hat, wink at us, and leave all abruptly... leaving her brassier sister Summer in her place. But until then, Spring places her little clusters of tulips by my house and so brave they stay, even as Winter throws mule-kicks at us all. Through the late snows a brilliant tiny beacon of loving color warms me and reminds me that all will soon be renewed.

Brave Spring! O hope! With open arms I welcome you home, dear one.

Christos anesti.

Steve "Big Daddy" Hodgson

Easter morning, April the fourth, 2010

276 pounds