Drip. Drip.  Drip.  Drip.  Leaky faucet?

No, at least I could fix that.   It's breakup, that's what it is!

April is the peak of break-up.  What's breakup? 

Breakup is not the first sign of a divorce.  In Alaska, it's the time of the year we convert from snow berms to sunshine.  The transition means lots of water must evaporate.  A winter's accumulation of snow must melt from the roof, drip down the rain gutters, and search for a dry spot to soak.

Blue skies replace months of darkness and ice fog.  If the weather is too warm, the snow will melt day and night, run over the frozen ground and flood.  If it's too cold in April, then no snow melts.  In May when it warms up suddenly, the rivers swell, and nearby towns and villages flood.  The ideal weather is warm days and cold nights.

Spring can be a dreary time of year.  The snow melts.  The leaves haven't arrived yet.  A few birds are flying in.  I can hear the chirping of the squirrels dashing here and there discovering the earth again after eight months of snow.

April is the month for

• the first surprises of spring popping through the melting snow.
• Is it a flower?
• No.
• Is it a squirrel?
• No.
• It looks like garbage that fell off the back of someone's truck.

Drip.  Drip.  Drip.  I'm never going to get to sleep.