Jon Reisman

When I was growing up in Philadelphia, March and April meant spring. In my high school years in the late 60s and early 70s, warmer temperatures and longer days corresponded to tennis practice and matches. By mid to late April, temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s were not uncommon. The City of Brotherly Love was fully greened and often sweltering by May Day.

When I moved to Waterville and later Rhode Island and Massachusetts, I got used to April snowstorms and spring about 2-3 weeks later than Philadelphia. But it was not till coming to Washington County in the mid 80’s that I gained a full appreciation of mud season (late March/April), Black Flies (May/June) and the months of poor sledding (July/August/September).

Global warming should, in theory, be bringing spring earlier, and there is some evidence that ice out dates have crept up a week or so over the last century. Less ice fishing, a longer growing season and more plant food in the atmosphere seem like excellent reasons to embrace climate alarmism, declare war on fossil fuels and promote policies for more expensive energy ($6.66/gallon anyone?). Having done so, it’s fun to watch Brandon and the Democrats scramble to blame Putin and the evil oil companies for the predictable results of their own policies, and marvel at their efforts to cut energy taxes, issue checks and release oil from the strategic reserves in an attempt to avoid electoral accountability for their climate change zeal. As the saying goes, nothing focusses the mind better than the prospect of your own hanging.

I try to get the garden tilled and prepped by mid-April, and my peas in by Patriots Day (that allows for harvest by Independence Day). Global warming has helped that calendar- only once since 1984 have snow and mud delayed garden prep into May. Ice out on Cathance Lake is usually in mid-April, and the last frost soon after that. The lake is a big heat sink, and proximity to open water holds off frosts in both early spring and late fall- our first fall frost is after Halloween.

Leek seedlings are planted in late April and most of the rest of the rest of the garden in early May. Weeding and tending the garden in May and June means Black Flies, so it is either early morning or ensconced in Bug Baffler netting.

I am writing this on April 1st, and the sunroom is full of seedlings. The garden is snow free but wet and muddy, but soon I’ll fire up the tiller (assuming the devilish Dems and Putin haven’t driven the price of gas beyond $6.66/gallon and Governor Mills sends me an $850 check if I promise not to blame her and her climate alarmist cronies for their war on fossil fuels) and put in my peas. The garden fence needs a little work. The local deer population has grown again (seven deer in the back yard munching on the recently exposed green lawn). They look pretty healthy, and hungry. In addition, had a large group of turkeys, led by an enormous Tom pass through look like they might settle in the immediate vicinity.

This spring is a little different for me than those that have preceded it. It is still a time of warming temperatures and optimism, but it is also a finale. After 38 years at UMM, I am retiring. I had planned on working for another year, but the University has made a special retirement incentive available, and I am ready. I do not plan on going anywhere else at this point (grandchildren could change that), and spending mud season in a warmer clime has a certain appeal, but Cooper, Cathance Lake and Washington County is our home. I will continue my Freedom Studies rants, diatribes and leftist lampoons as long as my publisher permits.

Jon Reisman is an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias. His views are his own. Mr. Reisman welcomes comments as letters to the editor here, or to him directly via email at [email protected].