Unseasonable late Imbolc

Here in good old New England we've been having an unseasonably warm spell -- as in it was 55 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday. I rode my bike to the grocery store in a t-shirt and enjoyed it, which may be a sign of the apocolypse, but it's a rather enjoyable one.

I usually hate the month of February. The Wheel of the Year promises that Imbolc is the start of a shift in seasons, but the cold and ice that still hold sway would seem to contradict that. However, this warm snap is making it much easier to believe that spring will come. I know that this won't last -- unseasonable weather never does -- but this early taste has reminded me that winter will end. It always does. And in the meantime I will try to appreciate this gift while it lasts!

As a side note, I checked the apple tree in my yard and it is starting to bud. Perhaps Imbolc represents a real shift in the seasons after all!