Our first week back from winter break has been a mixture of seasonal experiences. On Monday, dozens of children formed dried leaves into large piles, competing in groups to see who could build the biggest pile. At the end of recess each group spontaneously attacked their pile and created a leaf storm. Not exactly snow flurries, but we’ll take it, considering most afternoons in the last several weeks have hovered in the 70s. They’re the kind of afternoons where we round up an armload of unused jackets left behind at the end of recess.
Wednesday held a slight glimpse of winter around 2:00pm when Garden Club gathered to work on the weeds in classroom outdoor areas. The sky had been overcast all day, and a light mist fell as we cleared weeds from the garden areas. The mist lingered for most of the time, and we reflected on what perfect weather it was for being outside without the sun beating down on us.
Thursday brought the most promising taste of winter weather with more overcast skies, then a break in the clouds for a few hours of sunshine, closely followed by a period of significant rain. The dark grey clouds that rolled in even provided a few rounds of serious thunder. One elementary student was overheard saying, “It sounds like God is bowling!”
This morning when I left our house for my morning walk, the temperature was 40 degrees. It truly felt like winter. If the forecast is correct, even though it’s currently a bright, cloudless sky, we may not even reach 60 today. I make note of this because, with the forecast next week moving back into the 70s, it’s possible this week may have been our winter. With so many warms days in December and January, it’s easy to start being concerned about what July is going to be like. Nevertheless, we are blessed with these beautiful days, and I’m grateful our Seed students can run about freely, unencumbered by the kind of clothing required for life in colder places. So enjoy our “winter” by being outside playing, riding bikes, or consuming fresh vegetables from your garden if you have one. Our version of winter is our gift for enduring the blazing summers in this desert place where we’ve chosen to live.