Friday morning, we raised the insulating blind to look out on the new day. The previous day’s snow had begun to melt in the night, beating a steady tattoo of drips on the metal roof over our bedroom. At some point in the night the rhythm increased and changed, telling us that the snow had turned to rain. Through it all, intermittent crashes signaled that heavy rafts of snow still clung precariously to the branches above the cabin, losing their grip in spectacular fashion periodically.
The snow in the yard had melted somewhat, but had also been added to heavily from the loads falling from the trees. Michelle surveyed the scene and summed it up perfectly:
“It’s so . . . March!“
Exactly. We’re still adjusting to the sudden transition. The day the snow started, I’d looked around at all the bare ground and decided it would be a good time to collect more squirrel midden for the outhouse duff supply. I got distracted by some other task, and within hours, any duff I might have found was covered by fresh snow. Michelle came home early from her new job on Thursday, and stayed home—her appointments and an all-day training got canceled because of weather. We had laid heroic plans to get her to the training on Friday, involving the two of us hiking out to set the trail and dig out the car so she could drive to town, spend the night with friends, and arrive in time for the training early the next day. We waited for word on whether or not the training would be cancelled, and to hear when Aly got back to campus after a 3-day class field trip while watching our phone reception fade in and out with the changing cloud cover and snowfall.
This is why we have to be so flexible here on the “homestead,” and at no time more so than spring, it seems. The phrase “changeable as the weather” has profound meaning for us. A sudden snow storm has altered the face of our work this week. There’s no telling if another complete thaw will follow soon, or if we’ll continue to deal with wet snow cover for another month, maybe more. Those are just two of several weather possibilities we might experience in that time period. All we can do is take it as it comes, and adjust our plans accordingly.
By the way, did you remember to set your clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time today?
It is here also very March or better..feels like April…the snow is melting, today we clipped the goats hooves and gave them their shots..normally we do that in April.
I noticed gravel on our driveway today..haven’t seen that in a few months…I love spring…garden fever is acting up LOL
Astrid, what you’re describing is what I expect March to be, even after years of not experiencing it that way.
A friend in Alberta ways they’re in the 60s F there!