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Even though spring officially arrived earlier this week, I guess winter has been more on my mind.
In Northeast Michigan, a change of season is only on the calendar, anyway. More often than not, it takes weeks for the weather to actually catch up to the calendar.
Specifically, I was thinking of Alpena resident snow sculptor Kurt Dziesinski and the joy he has brought to area residents over the years. While few would probably put his sculptures at the level of Michelangelo, I believe not only is he talented, but his work actually borders on the side of genius.
Think about it with me for a second.
First, every sculpture he has done over the years is immediately recognizable. That attests to the artistic talent he possesses to be able to duplicate famous cartoon or comic book characters.
In my mind, that alone sets him apart.
But it doesn't stop there.
Can you imagine trying to figure out the amount of snow needed to do a sculpture, how best to chisel that snow so as to not create weak points, or how best to keep the snow frozen, and how to keep the colors from running too much from the eventual melting process?
Not only does Dziesinski need to be an exceptional artist, but he also needs to be an architect and engineer, as well. And to move all that snow from place to place at times in the past also has required an end-loader.
As you can see, Dziesinski has my respect.
I loved heading over to the north side in years past to drive past his residence and view the latest creation he had in front of his house. From Garfield to Batman, he always made me smile. He brought joy to the community.
All good things eventually come to an end, however, and, for a long period, his creations were put on hold.
I certainly understood. After all, having the front of your house always on display -- day or night -- is asking a good bit of the residents inside and their neighbors.
But, this year, another creation emerged, and I was particularly happy to read accounts of that. Dziesinski, now living in a different home, created a Mario-based theme.
So, how long does it take a master craftsman to create another masterpiece?
In the case of the Mario and friends sculpture, it took about four days, or roughly 30 hours.
It's not like he could head outside, roll some snow into balls, stack them on top of one another, and then adorn them with a carrot and stovepipe hat.
Indeed, the weather seemed to warm up a little this week. There is open water almost everywhere now, and, as of a minute past midnight this morning, Great Lakes boat traffic started up another new shipping season through the Soo Locks.
The calendar says spring is here, and, as evidenced by the above paragraph, I suppose it is.
But, before winter is long forgotten, I wanted to ensure Kurt Dziesinski got a shout-out.
As far as I'm concerned, he is one in a million and deserves recognition for the smiles he has shared with area residents over the years.
Bill Speer recently retired as the publisher and editor of The News. He can be reached at bspeer@thealpenanews.com.