Doctor Grandma

Leaves in the water,
hide the fish
hide the turtles
tell us how hard it rained last night,
the trees now nearly bare,
even in South Carolina,
where we have change of seasons,
but not ice and snow,
they shed their clothes without shame,
stand naked in the cold
will don new outfits in the Spring.

Wintry day,
South Carolina,
Gray skies and falling rain,
More leaves on the ground than on the trees,
branches glisten orange and red,
Stumps of some cut off just below
where Helene broke off the rest,
Loplolly pines stand above, swaying in the breeze,
Birds up there are unaware of all of us below,
warm at 65 degrees, one can enjoy
the screened-in porch, with a jacket on,
I think of many winters past,
snow and ice that does not melt,
snow piled into mountains
children try to climb,
but now we’re here,
in South Carolina,
Wintry days of falling rain,
sitting on my back porch
hearing it hit my window pane,
watching squirrels, deer and birds,
who don’t know how very lucky they are
to be southern.
cfblack, 12-11-24

As Helene rips through the park

uprooting trees

obstructing our view

they start falling,

but as they fall, screaming,

they reach out for one another,

and now, in each other’s arms,

they hold each other up,

until the chainsaws come.

Hurricane Helene, Columbia SC, Friday 9-27-24, we had only wind. A tornado ripped through our park — that is our belief — based on the numerous trees ripped from the ground, large ones blocking our view, laying across the path, hiding the basketball court and community center.

Dec. 3rd and winter has hit the Midlands. What does that mean? It is 45 degrees outside, and cloudy. I just took a 2 1/2 mile walk without gloves. The trees are nearly barren, the colors are gone, and brown oak leaves are strewn all around the pond. I don’t see turtles swimming, but an occasional large fish still jumps & splashes as I walk by. Our heat is on WAY too much, because our house is so poorly constructed, I can see 1/2 an inch of sunlight at the top of the back door. This is when it is “closed”. So we keep it set to 68, and lay in bed way too long in the mornings, because it is the warmest room in the house. It gets down into the 30s at night & hits 50 during the day. Winter in the Midlands.

Our heat is on. Nights have been in the 30s, which here means people stay home because “it’s too cold to go outside”. Cracks me up because up north, back home, this would be the time kids pray for, hoping it will snow! I’ve only in the last couple days taken my winter jacket out of the closet. Didn’t even wear it last night when we went out.

The stupid next-door dog is barking once again incessantly while I write this. Someone is undoubtedly walking around the pond. He will bark until they go all the way around. The family is gone to church so what do they care, they don’t have to hear it. There is no thought, here, of needing to bring animals inside. Cats run wild and there are many of them. It’s an animal paradise, never getting cold enough to freeze the pond. It would be an easy fix: No animal ownership if you live ON the pond, or requiring muzzled dogs if they are outside. But no, the people in the neighborhood association love dogs, own many dogs, and so this abuse continues.

I got sidetracked. Fall leaves have been BEAUTIFUL this year, proving my prediction wrong. Yellows and oranges, even reds, were breath taking and bright. The trees are now turning somewhat brown and leaves may fall — by the first of December. It’s a different climate, the timing is “off”. I can remember Halloweens in the snow, in Indiana, though usually it wasn’t quite that cold. But by the end of November? You betcha.

The weather won’t stay this cold. It will fluctuate, some days going up to the 50s, possibly even 60s & then  back down. We may see snow in December or January — which will accumulate and bring all the children out to play wildly, build a snowman in their yards — and it all disappears by noon. Snowmen left standing will melt by next day. It is really bizarre.

Tulips are never planted here. The ground doesn’t freeze enough to have them do well and come up in Spring. Flowers grow year-round. Pansies remain in bloom at the Statehouse through the winter.

A group of 3 small children are now seen fishing across the pond, a mother standing with them. They wear long pants and a light jacket, open in the front. One just wears a long-sleeved shirt. They REALLY, truly, have no idea what cold is. When I think of cold winds whipping through your coat like you have nothing on……. being snowed in for days………. starting the car 10 mins. before you leave and spending that time scraping ICE off car windows……. no they have no idea.