The alarm went off at 7:15. It was an unfamiliar sound, even an intrusion. I jumped out of bed to turn it off and also took the battery out of the clock, a noisy clock with a loud ticking. I then had to shake away the grogginess of the early morning and figure out why I’d set the alarm. I remembered I had a 9:00 library board meeting and had added extra time for papers and coffee, the morning rituals I seldom forego.

Gracie and I got to the library early so we listened to the radio then I noticed the bird, a bright red cardinal, sitting on the branch of a still slumbering tree surrounded by snow. The red was vibrant, and the bird was kind enough to stay for a while. I watched the whole time.

Only one other person came for the meeting, the meeting that wasn’t. I dropped my library books into the return slot then came home and rang the librarian who told me the president of the board had broken her arm and was now in rehab. I expect calling about the meeting was low on the list of priorities for our madam president.

Did I mention the sun? It waited until later in the morning to make its appearance but here it is for the second day in a row. Last night it was cold enough to frost the car windows and re-freeze all the melted ice and snow, but today the sun will be warm again and the temperature will rise throughout the morning. It will be in the 40’s, almost tropical. For the rest of the week that weather cycle will continue: a sunny, warm day followed by a freezing night followed by another sunny, warm day. The sun is accompanied by the constant sounds of dripping, melting snow. I’m beginning to think of that sound as music.