One of the unsettling things about moving (something I have way too much experience with) is not knowing how the new house and property will feel during all seasons. We've lived here since the beginning of June, so though we are unpacked we've only lived here for a season and a half out of four. I know when the sun is on the back deck and when it comes in the front window in summer and pre-time change fall. I know what a heavy summer rain does and where the first frost was. I've felt a hot and dry July and I know where to seek refuge from the heat. I don't know where the snow will pile up or where ice will form on the driveway. I don't know what rooms will be cold when it's windy or whether squirrels will take up residence in the garage. I have no idea how much wood and electricity we'll use keeping warm.
Of course, it takes many years to experience the full range of possibilities and to become fluent in one's place. Generations, even. Or at least, that's how it used to be. On a warming planet, it's not just the recently-relocated who have to deal with uncertainty. Weather patterns are changing and the extremes are getting more extreme.
Maybe I'll never feel fully rooted. But maybe all the practice I've had living in different places will help me to adapt to an uncertain future.
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