PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 19, 2024
Trying to accept the news that winter was dying was very like the grieving process. As the evidence has mounted, I’ve been in denial: This is a fluke, next year will be better, more “normal.” But this past year has made it impossible to pretend. The Summer That Wasn’t – weeks of seemingly daily rain or fog – was followed by the Fall That Wasn’t, the hoped-for brilliant foliage dulled by the summer rain. And now, the Winter That Wasn’t. I’ve gotten past denial. I’m sad, deeply sad. I’m also angry at those who’ve been so busy calling climate change a hoax. I’m tired of having to bargain over the deteriorating health of our planet and I will never, ever accept it. ~ Amy MacDonald, Portland in winter, Vinalhaven in summer