We need 'a little spring' now
John Mcphee One of my favourite Christmas tunes is "We Need A Little Christmas".

The cheerful, snappy tune tells of the need for a little Christmas "right this very minute", with a popular verse noting:

"For we've grown a little leaner; Grown a little colder; Grown a little sadder; Grown a little older ... Yes, we need a little Christmas, right this very minute. We need a little Christmas now."

Well, I think we should rewrite the lyrics to plea for spring to come with warm temperatures. After all, the weather really affects the moods of most people. When it's sunny and warm, so are the people you meet. When it's cold and damp, well, greeter beware - I wonder if that's where the expression 'the cold shoulder' came from?

Since Mother Nature's little trick a few weeks ago, when April suddenly became August, I've come across way too many grumpy people. Granted, when you work in the community newspaper business, grumpy people abound. They'll call to complain about the silliest things or expect restitution for perceived "errors". But surely, there should be a maximum number of these encounters that one should have to endure.

Once, a few years ago around this time of the year when Old Man Winter refused to give up his seat to Mother Nature and spring, a man tried to take my head off - well at least my ear - because of a quote of his (which was accurate) that I had printed. He actually yelled at me "I know I said it, but I didn't think you were going to quote me word for word!"

I guess the February and March 'blahs' are followed by the April attacks when the weather doesn't suit us - or some.

So Mother Nature, please, "We need a little spring time now!"