It’s spring!
A lot of people in Maine are affected by seasonal affective disorder (or SAD, appropriately). The long winter months with lots of cold days cause people to stay indoors for a large part of their time, and when combined with the claustrophobia of all the trees around and a few other factors, people start feeling down. I’ve felt SAD-like effects strongly in the past, but thankfully this winter wasn’t that bad.
Regardless, many Mainers welcome the first signs of spring with open arms (ironically, many welcome the first snowfall with the same open, yet colder, arms). Today was one of the first spring-like days here (about 55 degrees… hey, it’s still Maine… that’s t-shirt weather!). How could I tell? Besides the weather, there are a few surefire signs. There were tons of dogs outdoors (yay!). There were tons of motorcycles (eh). There were people walking all over the place: attempts to fulfill resolutions that will undoubtedly be “forgotten” (ignored) in less than a week.
From the huge smile I wear when I see a dog happy to be both outside and not freezing for the first time in months to the lack of shivering when I walk, it’s clear: it’s spring!
