No leaves, no coats

Sometimes you see a sign in a restaurant or store that reads:

Yesterday was an amazing day for February in New York. By mid-afternoon, the sky was clear, the sun was bright, and the temperatures had risen into the high 70’s ºF. We could not let such a magnificent opportunity pass us by, and headed over to the New York Botanical Gardens. I kept thinking that we would see a sign reading

No leaves No coats No winter?

 

To the best of my memory, the only time(s) we have ever visited the NYBG during the winter is for the train show. Those visits have consisted entirely of parking the car, moving as quickly as possible to the Enid Haupt Conservatory, spending an hour or so at the indoor exhibit, and quickly returning to the car. Walking around the grounds in the dead of winter is simply not enjoyable. Yesterday was different, but while the temperatures were more like late spring, the grounds still appear rather barren. Still, it was a wonderful feeling to be there, and we look forward to returning when spring actually arrives in earnest.

(here is how it looks during the summer)

The visit brought to mind an old folk song originally written by Pete Seeger in 1955, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Additional verses by Joe Hickerson were added in 1960, and the song has been recorded by countless artists over the past 63 years. I learned today in preparing this post that it was performed in French by Marlene Dietrich at a UNICEF concert in 1962, and recorded the song in English and German as well.

The joy of spring was quite short-lived. Today it is chilly and raining. But yesterday was a welcome break, and a hopeful sign of warmer days to come.

Love,

Rebecca