For a short time all the trees were covered with snow.  It was April ninth and we had a “dusting” of snow–an inch or two.  It was not unheard of:  a snow “storm” this late in spring but it definitely was unusual.  The trees did not stay white too long.  I am waiting for the warmer weather to return.  And it will.  The forecast for my birthday less than a week away called for sixty degree weather and clear skies.

In a mere four days spring arrives.  I usually start a countdown to spring earlier but this weather was unusually warmer.  The primrose and crocuses have bloomed.  The daffodils are next.  Pretty soon we will start planting pansies and other flowers.

March ninth was the first day this year we played Scrabble in our yard. We were in the middle of a heat wave for this time of the year. I counted seventeen wide open purple crocuses and today one yellow primrose opened with more on the way. I know the temperature will get colder and more seasonal but I am enjoying this burst of spring.

Spring is coming, Spring is coming !!! I am waiting for today and tomorrow to end. Then we get five days of Spring-like weather. My crocuses have eleven buds, and the daffodils are getting higher and higher. I know the cold weather this year was short, but I still remember those ice cold days we had. Spring is less than two weeks away, and I can’t wait for it to come.

A Harbinger Of Spring

Author: siggy

Some daffodils were poking their heads under the tree. This was a harbinger of spring. I checked the bed of primrose–no flowers yet.

Winter Is A Week In

Author: siggy

Winter is a week in. Still no extended freezes. An abnormally warm Fall. That means Spring might come sooner unless we get cold in the early Spring. The countdown has begun (to Spring). I’d hibernate but I don’t have that option.

In the week I was gone my goldfinch stopped coming to my feeders. That happens every year. The goldfinch come in a steady stream to my feeders in the early spring. Then they stop. I sometimes wonder what they feed on later on but, obviously, it is something other the sunflower seed I put out for them. It is always a mystery to me.

While I Was On Vacation

Author: siggy

In the week I was gone the two tomato plants grew quickly. There were quite a few little green tomatoes while a week ago there was almost none. My wife had splurged and bought quite a few plants while I was on vacation–many still in their original containers and needed to be planted. She bought two beautiful budding fuchsia plants one of which I hung from the white pine tree in view from our large living room window. Every year we put one up there and the plant does well there as long as we keep it watered.

The weather finally became seasonal–sixties and seventies. I thought we went straight from winter into summer for a short time. At least it seemed that way. Today I was thrilled I noticed a flower that had little white snow bells. My wife said it was a perennial. The grass was also cut when I got home. All these things happened in the week I was gone.

Spring went straight into summer.  I was gone a week.  I know summer still has five weeks to go but that is the way it seemed.  The big lilac bush bloomed while I was gone.  There was new growth all over the place.  All this in a week.  I noticed the two patio tomato plants grew quite a bit.  I still have not carefully inspected the garden.  I am sure there are other changes.  It has become the time of year I just wear tee shirts and shorts.  Pretty soon I will be putting back the air conditioner in the bedroom.  We discarded the thick blanket and the fan ran all night.

The winter does not want to go away. It was actually “flaking” for a few seconds. The next two nights will be below freezing and she has to take in her two spider plants she placed by our fence. They won’t tolerate the cold. In fact, it might kill both plants. I know what will happen. All of a sudden the weather will become hot. The winter will go straight into summer. And skip spring.

Isn’t winter going away? Besides it being chilly, there was an inch of snow that fell overnight. I know what is going to happen. At some point, we will skip spring and go straight into summer. Weather is so unpredictable!

It was only a week ago our yard was completely snow covered. The temperature then rose. A week ago we would have dozens of birds feeding on the ground, sometimes, at one time several cardinals, and flocks of slate covered juncos among others. Now we don’t see so many. Since most of the snow melted the birds must have more opportunities to find food. We do see many goldfinch come to our feeders. It is that time of year for them. About the beginning of spring they come in flocks. They love sunflower seeds and are now coming to the sock I hung up filled with suet.