Normally, March in Vermont means sledding, ice-skating, skiing, and making snowmen. Usually, March is the peak of the very long winter season. A VERY long winter. In a regular year, we would all be complaining about the ever-living snow and ice; we’d be jealous of our friends’ Facebook posts of their bulbs coming up and their kids playing outside without mittens or snow pants.
But this is not a normal year. Not even one bit. Today at our house, we pulled out the outdoor toys, and opened up the sand box in our back yard. My daughter went to school wearing a fleece pullover instead of a parka — no mittens, no snow pants.
My daffodils are starting to poke up out of the ground (or maybe it’s my crocuses or tulips–I’m not sure – I’m new to gardening). My daughter and I spied a robin the other day.
And today, when I picked up Lily from school, she said, “Mom! All the kids were saying that the creemee stand is open and they’re all going to ask if they can go there after school today!”
“Really?!” I was genuinely surprised. Creemees is Vermonter-speak for soft serve ice-cream. Creemees are a summertime thing here. Creemee stands don’t usually open until May or even June.
“Can we go? Puh-leeeeze?”
“Well… if they’re actually open, I don’t see why not!” I was 95% certain there was no way they were serving creemees in March. That just seemed crazy to me. Why not give the kid a little hope?
As I was driving Lily home from school, sure enough, outside our favorite little creemee store, there was a sign out front:
We have heard your cries! Creemees are back!
A true sign of spring, and one we usually don’t see until much, much later in the year.
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I hope you enjoyed the Creemie! (Wish I had one!)
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Of course would know the ice cream shop was open! Our NYC equivalent is the first time one hears the joyful noise of the Mr. Softee ice cream truck in their neighborhood. I smiled happily when I heard it down the block yesterday. Enjoy your very early spring and two extra months of creemees!
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Creemies in March? If that isn’t proof that we have global warming, then I don’t know what is?
(NOTE TO SELF: Don’t drive past the homemade ice cream store tomorrow. They’re probably open too.)
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It sounds like spring is coming early to Vermont. Did you get a creemie? What flavor?
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