Spring

The Vernal Equinox is upon us. I guess somewhere in Missouri or Virginia that means charming little flowers, budding fruit trees, and adorable baby butterflies. Indeed somewhere in America right now a tiny child is in a field of wildflowers saying "Oh Mommy! Lookit all the baby butterflies!" And a fawn will go ambling by them, dappled in sunlight, and there will be a rainbow too, laughter, and a warm breeze.

Oh the warm breezes.

But that's not how it is where I am when the Vernal Equinox hits, oh no, not in Minnesota. It is far too early for that. No buds, no flowers, and a butterfly would go hypothermic in a couple of minutes around here in March. Once a baby butterfly starts shivering you've only got a handful of moments left to warm it up and save it, so act fast.

The Vernal, or Spring Equinox in Minnesota merely means slate gray skies, borderline freezing temperatures, and heaps of ugly, blackened mounds of compressed snow that's no longer even slippery, so encrusted has it become with grit, garbage, and exhaust fumes.

It's not pretty. Or hopeful. Or spring-like.

And yet we do have one curious, Vernal Equinox specific phenomenon that happens only here in Minnesota, and only at this specific time of year:

Schrodinger's Water.

Walking to work today I got a full dose of Schrodinger's Water and, while dangerous, and treacherous, and a little hair-raising, it is pretty fascinating. It is also rare and mysterious, and, like anything that happens only very rarely, it's worth trying to appreciate, if one can, even if sometimes it seems like it might be trying to kill you.

You don't know what Schrodinger's Water is?

Schrodinger's Water is a state of water wherein it is neither liquid or solid until someone steps in it.

It is both at once, or neither, until one either splashes, or slides.