plaintive

Today's Word of the Day (feed in right-hand column)

plaintive \PLAYN-tiv\, adjective:
Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad.

I was thinking of this very word just the other day, wondering when the sandhill cranes and geese will be heading back South. It shouldn't be much longer.

For the most part, I enjoy this time of year...football season, the kids are back in school and not playing in the streets (don't mind 'em playing, just don't wanna run over one of 'em), it's much cooler, but when the birds start migrating, the geese spreading across the sky in a ragged "V" formation, the cranes continuously honking at each other, it makes me a little sad.

That might be some sort of "genetic memory", a harbinger of bad weather to come, one of nature's warnings that our ancient ancestors used to mark the seasons. I feel the exact opposite when I hear the migration as it heads North for the summer; it makes me happy that winter is over, that spring has sprung and the flowers will soon be blooming.

I don't know if cranes and geese are showing emotion with their squawks and honks as they fly far overhead. I would like to think so, that they're joyous at being able to winter in warmer climes. Still, the sound is "plaintive" to me.

I really don't like winter, it makes me sad.