It snowed yesterday and is still snowing today. Apparently, this is the 102nd day of January. Some of our summer birds have already arrived. The male robins and the male red-winged blackbirds are back. They come back early to stake out their territories. They are going to have great trouble finding food with a foot of snow on the ground and more coming down. You might think mother nature is cruel, but that’s not exactly true. It’s the physics of weather or if you prefer, the physics of climate change. For the birds who are here early, it is chemistry. Their hormones have told them it’s time to prepare for breeding season. We aren’t much different than those birds. While we may not starve for lack of food because of the snow, it still makes it a very miserable day to get around. As to hormones, do you remember when we were kids? I remember getting in trouble along with one of the neighbor girls for seeing who could pee the furthest after we had climbed up in a tree. I don’t remember who won the contest, but I do remember we couldn’t figure out why the adults were so angry at our peeing contest. Lacking critical hormones, there was absolutely no interest in each other beyond being friends to play together. We could obviously see the differences. I think we just came to the conclusion that’s what made us a girl or a boy. Beyond that it meant nothing.
Watching the snowfall this morning, I marvel at the chemistry which drives those male birds to come stake out their territories for breeding. It also makes me marvel at the chemistry that drives you and me to seek out a mate even with all the hurt and pleasure that seeking provides.
