Winter's End

Punxsutawney has Phil and Bill Murray, and even a Groundhog Club, but if you really want to know when winter is over, you should keep your eyes on our friends Frosty and Frostina. Yesterday, Mr. Bojangles and I witnessed the real end of winter. This was no little feat. The event was akin to seeing the Great Pumpkin, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny all in the same year. After standing proudly there at the fork in our driveway all winter in all kinds of nasty weather, Frosty turned to his life partner and sang in his very Lowell George voice, "Frostina, my sweet Frostina, what are you up to now?" And Frostina crooned, "All of the good, good times are bad, if we forget that was the best winter we ever had." And much to our dismay, Frosty and Frostina sublimated instantaneously right before our very eyes. One second they were solid, pristine, icy snow white, and the next second they were wispy vapor, swirling off in the sky toward the magnetic north pole like a sparkling clean Aurora Borealis. Adieu, tata and good-bye Frosty and Frostina. Be cool.