>> KEVIN: THE WORLD IS MELTING.

THE SNOW ANYWAY.

AND THAT MAKES THIS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR.

SEE, IN THE RECEDING SNOWDRIFTS AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, LAYERS OF ARTIFACTS ARE BEING EXPOSED: CAR KEYS, SUNGLASSES, PIECES OF BALLOONS WITH CHINESE WRITING.

AND WITH EVERY MELT, ANOTHER WONDER IS REVEALED.

IT'’S SORT OF A PALEONTOLOGIST'S VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO.

I CALL IT "SHALLOW TIME."

FIRST TO EMERGE ARE DISCARDED CHRISTMAS TREES, CANDY CANES, TINSEL, REMNANTS OF TRIBAL RITUALS.

WITH LUCK AND MORE EXCAVATING, A HOT DISH LID WITH A TURKEY ON IT, OR FURTHER DOWN, HALLOWEEN CANDY.

STILL GOOD.

AND ON THE WAY, VACCINATION CARDS, "I VOTED" STICKERS, POLITICAL LAWN SIGNS.

I FIND A THIN PAPER SKIN USED FOR TRANSPORTING FOODSTUFFS WITH WRITINGS ON IT AND A PICTURE OF A TACO AND A BELL.

QUESTIONS EMERGE.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE WERE THESE?

WAS THIS THE GIFT OF A LOVER?

A PARENT?

WHAT SECRETS ARE HOUSED IN THESE TREASURES?

I'’VE KNOWN SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED ON MY BLOCK FOR YEARS, AND A WHOLE NEW APPRECIATION UNFOLDS.

LIKE, WHOA, NOW THIS EXPLAINS A LOT.

THERE IS A GRADE SCHOOL BY MY HOUSE, AND THE ROADS LEADING THERE RUN LIKE RICH VEINS OF LOST SCIENCE AND ART PROJECTS, NOTEBOOKS, HAIR CLIPS, HATS, SINGLE MITTENS.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID, WE HAD TO BRING HOME OUR REPORT CARDS TO BE SIGNED BY OUR PARENTS.

SADLY, MANY OF THEM NEVER MADE IT.

AND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THEY WOULD POP UP LIKE DAFFODILS.

I STILL HAVE A REPORT CARD AT HOME FROM MS. KELLER, THIRD GRADE, BEST TEACHER, THAT SAYS, "KEVIN HAS NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE MATERIAL, BUT I'’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT HIM."

A COUPLE YEARS AGO, ABOUT A MILE FROM THE HOUSE, OUR WIENER DOG STUCK HIS NOSE IN A DRIFT AND PULLED OUT A HAT I'’D LOST TWO MONTHS EARLIER.

HE CARRIED IT ALL THE WAY HOME, LIKE FINDERS KEEPERS.

IT'’S MINE NOW, BUDDY.

BUT TODAY AS I SPEED BACK WITH MY FINDINGS FOR DATING AND LABELING, MY MIND IS FLOODED WITH EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS.

WHAT WILL NEAR FUTURE WORLDS MAKE OF US BY WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND?

IS SCIENCE ACTUALLY DISCOVERING OR MORE THE ART OF UNCOVERING?

IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO GO BACK IN TIME OR ONLY PULL TIME FORWARD TO HOW WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD TODAY?

ARE WE JUST CIRCLING, AS ENERGY, A CONTINUANCE INTO OTHER FORMS OF MATTER?

IN OTHER WORDS, CAN I RELY ON REINCARNATION TO SEE IF THE VIKINGS WIN A SUPER BOWL?

ALL THIS AND MORE.

AND THEN AT SOME POINT SOON, OR MAYBE IN THE MIDDLE OF APRIL, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER SNOWSTORM.

IMPORTANT RESEARCH MAY BEGIN ANEW.

GOD BLESS ARCHAEOLOGY.