Snow Robins

It's not the result of climate change, I don't think, but it was a new one for me. There I was, trudging through the latest installment of frozen precipitation, back to the house from the barn, and through the falling snow I heard a robin singing the 'Oh-I'm-so-happy-it's-mating-season' Spring song. Silly bird. Were it not for the angle of the sun and the stars now visible in the night sky, I would have a tough time believing it's April. I should know better, of course. I live in Vermont, and once this snow's gone we're in for some tough sleddin'. Anyhow, NOAA says we're also in for some mild, sunny days. I'll take it.
 
Whilst making supper the other night, I decided I would pop a CD into the old machine and listen to some music. I know this an antiquated technology, but my older and less delicate manipulatives still prefer moving parts. No logic there, but, hey, does anyone remember the old TOS Star Trek show which featured a rotary digital chronometer turning backwards to indicate the Enterprise slipping through a time warp? No? It was state of the art, man. Well, just for the record, I have NEVER thought that digital watches were a pretty neat idea.

But I digress. I put in a CD, and it was Jez Lowe's 'Doolally', and I thought with every song that played, this man has a brilliant sense for melody. That makes all the difference to me. When I diverted my interest back in the eighties from pop to folk, it was because so much of the music being made at the time, although often highly emotive and appealing in other ways (okay, 'Walking On the Moon' is still one of my favorite songs), it had nowhere near the draw for me as listening to Archie Fisher. I quite literally wore out a friend's copy of Clannad's 'Dulaman' (yeah, vinyl). And as time has raced on I've grown more and more fond of the vocal music. After Jez Lowe finished and we needed a soundtrack for the dishes, it was Kitka. Those women produce an incredible sound, which has been known to bring tears to my eyes just from the shear loveliness and power of the music.

Robins have a great sense, for melody, too, even if their repertoire is a bit limited. And I reckon that fellow singing through the snowstorm was charming somebody's heart -- or hormones. All comes down to the same thing, I suppose.