Spring is Delayed, Please See Agent For Details
The temperatures for most of this March have hovered between a few degrees above to a few degrees below freezing. This means that Spring has been emerging with excruciating slowness. Most nights the soil freezes, along with the potting mix in containers. We have Snowdrops, for which I am grateful, but nothing else.
This makes me think of the goddess Persephone, whose annual trip from the underworld (she has a house-sharing arrangement) causes spring to burst forth. Perhaps spring is delayed because she is stuck at Underworld International Airport. She is sitting in one of those hard plastic chairs staring at an electronic display screen.
Over the loudspeaker she hears: “This is an announcement for passengers on flight 232 to the Land of the Living. The flight has been delayed due to bad weather conditions.”
Or worse: “This is an announcement for passengers on flight 232. Unfortunately, this flight is overbooked. We’re looking for passengers who are willing to take a later flight in exchange for a three day stay in Elysium. Any passenger who is interested should see an agent at Gate 26.” Persephone mutters something about airline deregulation, though it’s true that a lot of deities like to get out of the underworld at this time of year.
Persephone is dressed in ferns and laurels and bluebells, though the bluebells are starting to wilt.
Maybe she’s just stuck in an airport security line. You’d think by now she’d have TSA pre-check.
Of course, last year at this time the ground was still covered with snow, so I really shouldn’t complain. But complaining about the weather is what gardeners do. In fact, there’s a group on Facebook called Weather Bitching for Gardeners (I was one of the first members).
Is there anything we can do to get Persephone onto that flight out of the underworld?Perhaps something to propitiate the gods on Olympus. Or maybe register a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration.
gardeninacity 
Thank you – I needed that. Plus, I asked to join the group. 🙂 We’re headed home from SC to NH in two weeks now we just hope we can get in the driveway to unload.
I hope the snow is melted by then.
When I saw Persephone’s photo and the caption beneath, I laughed out loud. Believe me, I haven’t laughed in a few days, so thank you for that. Then, when I got to the name of the Facebook group, I laughed again. As for propitiation, perhaps sacrificing a meteorologist or two would do the trick: not real ones, of course, but the sort of show up on television to entertain rather than to inform.
I’m willing to sacrifice as many fake meteorologists as it takes.
Dressed like that, she should not be in the security line for long.
She still has to take off her sandals.
My tulips are blooming.
California is another world.
This is the first thing I’ve read this Monday morning – thanks for making me smile. I do hope she catches her flight soon.
Me too.
Hello Jason, it might be that she’s on the train on the way to the airport, in which case she’ll miss her flight due to “leaves on the line”.
I hadn’t thought of that.
I’m up in Wisconsin and excruciatingly slow is the most accurate description of this particular Midwest “warm up” I’ve seen in a long time. Its like watching paint dry! Wondering how I can chip in and get her on a chartered jet… Kickstarter anyone?
Hmm. I wonder if they have Kickstarter in the underworld.
We are covered in snow with more to come today. At this point, spring isn’t even on my radar. Where is global warming when you need it?
Ugh.
Oh, how apt this post is, especially in Maine! Tomorrow, we are due to get hit with another Nor’easter, the third in three weeks. Spring seems like a distant memory. Watching Monty Don on Netflix helps. 😉
You guys are really taking it on the chin.
We sure are! Storm number four is forecast for next Tuesday. Yikes!
Genius. I wish I had written this. As someone who hates airports and flying, I just loved this post!
Thanks!
Brilliant post and I must now go look for the weather group. My snowdrops in the sunny spot by the house are showing but not enough to cut any.
I’ve never tried bringing Snowdrops indoors. Worth thinking about.
Thanks for this! I concur, spring does seem excruciatingly delayed this year. Perhaps this is some verification for Punxsutawney Phil. But then whatever small sign occurring gets that much more attention. My robin has been back in the yard for at least a week. Returning to waking up in the dark doesn’t help much, though. 🙂
I haven’t seen any Robins this year.
You will likely see one this weekend!
Thanks for the morning laugh! Perhaps sacrificing a virgin to a volcano would help.
A volcano is at least warm.
As I sit here watching big, fat snowflakes hitting the ground…
Crazy. I’ve got daffodils in bloom and this morning they are talking about a “light dusting.” Good grief.
Grief, certainly.
What a hoot. This explains a lot.
I thought so.
Of course she is stuck in a line someplace. So many trying to make it into Spring. She is probably sitting there in a pout wondering why someone doesn’t give her a seat. Definitely should write to the FAA regarding this. She should get first choice.
Agreed.
She’ll never come here. We’re looking at our third nor’easter in 11 days and this one looks like it might be a big one.
I thought they were all big ones. Ugh.
Wonderful post …. I hope Persephone can be lured out of the underworld soon. The 3rd nor’easter is even being reported in Australia…. Deep sympathy for all those who are waiting for Spring.😊
While you are enjoying autumn, I imagine.
Autumn is a little here … But looking forward to it…
LOL! We have had a few days of spring as a teasing taster, but now with freezing temperatures on the way from the north-east in a few days, so I hope someone lets that goddess jump the queue soon! 🙂 Enjoy those snowdrops Jason. Spring can’t be far off now and gardeners are known for their patience, as well as for constantly complaining about the weather!
I I’m probably not known especially for my patience.
Nice! It’s not so hard to see why rituals of old basically amount to an elaborate bribe. And if you can bribe deities and demigods, you can definitely do something with an airline official…
Good point!
Thanks for the laugh. After Persephone finally lands in O’Hare, she’ll see further delays I’m sure on some pokey regional airline heading for Maine. She’d have frostbite if she tried to land here now.
It got up to 40 with the sun out here today – I was grateful.
Ha, love it! I think she boarded a plane and almost landed here end of February, but the plane had to turn around with the arrival of all those nor’easters. Now she’s stuck back in that airport and still waiting…
I hope she brought a book with her in case she gets bored.
Brilliant! Maybe we need those heated tyre-warmers that they have to use in airports in Siberia?
I don’t know about those. When I used to visit North Dakota they had these things that you plugged your car into while parked so that the battery wouldn’t die.
We had some light snow and cold temperatures again here last week. All is green again, but I am waiting for spring!