Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Ivan Raconteur Column – 04/18/16



It’s amazing how much difference a shift of just a few degrees makes.

I was reminded of this when the temperature hit 70 degrees last week.

Most of the year, I am ambivalent on the subject of salad. That is to say, I can take it or leave it.

During the dark months, when the winter wind is wailing out on the tundra, I leave it more than take it.

When the spring sunshine ushers in the warm weather, however, I develop a mad and inexplicable craving for salad.

I even made a special stop at the store to pick up the necessary items after work one night last week.

The result was a very simple salad, but to me, it was marvelous.

At the same time, I developed an insatiable thirst for lemonade iced tea – not lemonade or iced tea separately, but together.

It’s not unusual for me to be thirsty, but this curious craving was a very specific thirst, and I felt like I could drink the stuff by the gallon.

I’m not the only one who was affected by the warm weather.

I saw so many people on bicycles last week, I started to wonder if there was a road race going through town.

When the temperature hit the 70 degree mark, there were so many people out walking, it reminded me of those videos we see on the news of hordes of refugees fleeing some war-torn country. The only differences were the people I saw were generally better dressed, and they seemed a whole lot happier than the refugees on TV.

It was as if the sunshine was a trigger that caused people to break free from the shackles of their winter clothes and begin enjoying the bliss of springtime in Minnesota.

There’s something exquisite about the feeling of a gentle spring breeze caressing one’s bare skin after months of confinement in coats and gloves.

People smile more in the springtime.

I’m not suggesting that people don’t smile at other times of the year, but it seems to me a sort of universal benevolence descends on the population in the spring.

Instead of trudging around like inmates in a Soviet Gulag, reeking of despair, people seem infused with fresh energy and enthusiasm.

Perhaps this is due to the thought of getting outdoors and doing things they enjoy.

Maybe it’s because they are breathing more fresh air instead of stale indoor air.

It might be improved circulation due to increased activity.

It could even be the thought of delicious spring treats like salad and lemonade iced tea.

Whatever it is, there’s no doubt spring is in the air, and things are changing fast.

It doesn’t get much better than this.





































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