When I woke up on Saturday, Oct. 17, to discover a few inches of snow on the ground, I chalked it up to just another slap in the face of this disastrous year of 2020.
The birch trees that still had a few leaves on their branches were bent all the way to the ground. Two of my favorite trees, tamaracks, had snapped three quarters of the way to the top. The weight of the heavy wet snow on the deciduous conifer’s needles was too much for the thin trunk to bear.
The year in nature in my neighborhood can be summed up as follows: unusual weather patterns confusing the normal growth and maturation of things. Warm weather came early followed by freezing temperatures, so the wildflowers struggled to figure out when to seed and bloom resulting in a lackluster spring wildflower season. Drought and fluctuating temperatures over the summer negatively impacted vegetable growing, much to the chagrin of the neophyte gardeners trying their hand at growing their own food during the stay-at-home requirements.
Drought drained for the first time the vernal pool in my woods where frogs and salamanders procreate. It normally holds five feet of water, but three weeks ago it was empty, as was the stream that cuts through my property. The recent rains and this snow storm have fully replenished both pool and stream, thankfully. The wildlife will need the water in the winter.
Fall foliage came early with a brief burst of brilliant colors and then departed at the blink of an eye, foreshadowing an early winter that arrived before anyone was ready.
Yes, winter is coming, but for the next 10 days we do not have the luxury to dwell on the seasons of our discontent. For this is the season of a coming revolt against the status quo, the time to throw out the old guard and usher in the new. Now is the time for a clean slate.
We must relegate to history the Trump impeachment trial, which ended in an acquittal on Feb. 5. Trump holds the distinction of being the third president in history to be impeached. His crimes were abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. There was no chance for conviction because the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate.
Trump crowed about his victory at the same time he was keeping the American public in the dark about the pandemic, which had hit the country’s shores by then. The first case was diagnosed on Jan. 20.
In New Hampshire we were focused on the primary on Feb. 11. Remember how many candidates we had to choose from back then? Joe Biden made the headlines for leaving town before the results were announced so that he could focus on the prize in South Carolina. It turned out to be a brilliant strategic move after which all the pieces fell into place and he is now the man of the hour, with an African American woman as his running mate.
A little over two weeks later, the first case of the coronavirus was announced in New Hampshire on March 2. Confusion was rampant when Trump made his first speech about the pandemic on March 11 from the Oval Office. It was made the same day the World Health Organization declared that it was a global pandemic. The 10-minute speech clearly downplayed the seriousness of the plague and caused the financial markets to plummet with his declaration that travel and trade from Europe shall be halted. So much for America’s economy being the greatest in the world, now China ironically holds that distinction for the moment.
As America experiences its third season of coronavirus surges in cases because of the lack of leadership from the White House, the people are going to the polls in record numbers. So far, over 45 million people have taken advantage of early and absentee voting. This is a good indicator that change is coming. But, it should not lull us into a sense of comfort or complacency, especially when one thinks back to 2016. Anything can happen, so the work must continue toward the goal of inspiring the greatest voter turnout in the history of this country.
I remain optimistic and remember that as the seasons go, so goes the republic. While there may be bumps in the road along the way, the republic remains strong and resilient. A dear friend of mine who was in his mid-90s and who had survived the Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the resignation of Nixon, 9/11, Katrina, and the Recession of 2008, stated very emphatically after Trump won in 2016, “The republic is strong and will survive.” He died just two months later, but his words have lived in my head ever since. It has been my inner mantra as 2020 ticks down to its inevitable climax on Nov. 3.
In all likelihood this will be my last essay before the election. It has been an honor and a privilege to share my thoughts and opinions during these past few months. For me it has been my pandemic panacea, my salvation during these turbulent seasons. I know the pandemic is far from over and every one of us must remain vigilant during this period of sacrifice, but I can’t help but feel there is a reward just around the corner.
On Nov. 3, when I drive to my polling place and walk in proudly wearing my mask I will be voting for Democrats up and down the ballot.
When the votes are counted and the overwhelming mandate is revealed, then the real work of cleaning up the debris left by the great storm of the Trump presidency will begin and the story of America will continue down a brighter path, the Fates willing.
(Susannah Colt lives in Whitefield. She can be reached at susannahbcolt@gmail.com.)