Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard
This is so true. For me, anyway. I talk about the weather with my coworkers. I talk about the weather with Ward. I talk about the weather with Wally and Theo. I talk about the weather with my sisters. I talk about the weather with the library. I talk about the weather on my blog and other blogs. Anyone I can get to listen, I talk about the weather. Weather is the common denominator for all of us. Rich or poor. Big or little. Old or young. We all experience it, and it's the one thing we really don't have control over. So we talk about it as a way to connect with others, whether complaining or praising what is happening outside. And because I happen not to be so good at chitchat, the state of the weather is a good conversation starter.
So guess what I'm going to talk about today? The weather.
Today is the first day of spring. My day started with temperatures in the 20s; it should go into the 40s this afternoon. Cold, but clear. Spring is when I look forward to warmer temperatures and a burst of color. But that does not happen in a linear progression. A warm day. A freezing day. New blooms. Frost-bitten blooms.
Here is a retrospective of what the weather has been like for the official start of spring since we've been in our "new" house - the first day of spring over the last several years - just because I like to talk about the weather. :) Note: In parentheses is a comparison to this year.
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| 2023 This year, most of the crocus are about done blooming, although there is one spot where they don't even have buds yet. Sadly, none of the yellow ones came up this year. |
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| 2022 (This year, we had no snow at all.) |
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| 2021 (This year, the forsythia bushes are about 1 week ahead of these.) |
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| 2020 Bluebird nest (No nests in the birdhouses yet this year.) |
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| 2019 (The crocus this year are ahead of these.) |
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| 2018 (This crocus is 2-3 weeks behind this year's.) |
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| 2017 Frostbitten forsythia (This year's forsythia is a couple of weeks ahead of this and is surviving the below freezing temps so far.) |
