It seems like this spring has been unusually chilly, but in looking back through past year’s columns, it actually was pretty typical weather for March, but other than a “spritz” of snow and some windy weather, March kinda went out like a lamb this year.
Now April is officially here, and the thermometer is rising nearly every day. Jack even said it could get up into the 70s this week…with more rain of course.
We have had plenty of that and everywhere we looked last weekend the fields were flooded. Even where the Little Tobacco Drain goes through Clare, the water was up over the banks on the west side. Not nearly what it has been in the past however, just a few yards were wet.
Because the frost hadn’t come out of the ground yet, we had to drive through a badly flooded road on Whiteville the other day, but Jack says that low area (due to some beaver dams I hear), although still pretty wet, isn’t over the road anymore.
I guess we should count our blessings. In some of my collection of columns over the years, I was writing about snowstorms in April and you know, as Michiganders, that can happen pretty easily if Mother Nature gets the urge to play a little joke on us.
Today (Tuesday), the thermometer is going up to the 50s and the sun is shining. It makes me want to get outside and rake, (or just sit in the sun) so it is probably a good thing I am here with my back to the single window in this office where I can’t stare out there and daydream.
Sunny warm days will do it to me every time, although this morning was still a bit chilly and I haven’t put the winter coats away yet. We did go out for lunch Monday with just light jackets for the first time in months.
The up and down cycle, warmer days, cold nights, is actually great for sap production and this promises to be a bumper year for maple syrup I am told.
We have a friend who “taps” the trees every spring and we always buy some of his product and pass it around to family. Sure makes great tasting pancakes and waffles!
This paper comes out on Good Friday and Sunday is Easter – already! We changed the clocks earlier last month and now it seems like winter again when I get up in the morning and it is still dark outside.
I like the evenings though, especially when the sun is shining and it doesn’t go down now until around 8:30 p.m.
We’ve been enjoying all of the activities around the birdfeeders. I noticed this past Sunday that there are lots of “yellow” goldfinches around again. We also have loads of beautiful Red Wing Blackbirds, sparrows, and of course starlings all fighting for their share of the goodies at the bird feeders.
They have always provided loads of entertainment for us, even here in farm country. Trouble is there are loads of windy days, and sometimes the feeders get blown around so hard they dump the seed out on the ground. The mourning doves like that pretty well.
Suddenly the grass is getting green out there again and my flowers are finally starting to grow along the south and east side of the garage where the sun hits them and the house protects them from the wind.
Summer is coming. I like this time of year.
We had an early preview of things to come, specifically summer activities, last weekend, although they were the long-distance Florida kind. Granddaughter Alison and a friend visited Uncle Brent at the condo in Naples for most of a week. They sure had a great time and I think Uncle Brent had fun showing them around, shopping, visiting beaches and spending time in the Association pool. Wish we could have gone along too!
There, with all that talking about summer coming, I have probably doomed us to another spring snowstorm…
The great thing about April is that even if we do get snow, you know it won’t last very long.