This and That and the Weather

 I'm finding it harder to blog these days, so I thought it was time for some speed blogging. 

Here it goes. 

Protected from the outdoor weather, the cactus continues to bloom.

I was remembering a quote about the weather, so I went looking in an old blog post, and I found it.

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 neighbors. 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 at the gym. I talk about the weather on my blog and other blogs. Anyone I can get to listen, I will talk about the weather. The 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'm not so good at chitchat, the weather is a good conversation starter.

So guess what I'm going to talk about today? The weather. 

After the big ice snow storm finally melted and the rain stopped, I ventured into the backyard on Saturday to see if I could find any signs of spring. The birds were already feeling it. They were starting to sing and show off their bright mating colors.

Could the plants be far behind? Lo and behold, I found some green leaves poking their head above the ground. The pictures below don't look like much, but I was excited to find these green leaves among the brown.

The first thing I found was daffodil leaves. 

Next were the emerging surprise lilies. 

Then, I went around the corner and found some of the crocus bulbs I planted last fall. You may remember I did an impulse buy of 64 crocus bulbs from Costco. I didn't have a specific place to plant them, so I just placed them here and there. This spring will be like a treasure hunt as I find them all.

And look! Hiding under the fig tree were some actual blooms! That definitely got a big smile. 

Then on Sunday, the rain returned, and we had rain with occasional snowflakes mixed in all day. When we left for our 5 pm swing dance class, it was raining, and the roads were wet. When we left class an hour later, it was snowing hard and sticking. The drive home was tense. Amid heavy snow, fog, and darkness, we couldn't see much, including any road markings. But we made it home without an incident. Thank goodness. 

Monday morning snow. We were lucky that we were on the outer bands of the blizzard that hit New England, where they 2' or more of snow. We got about 7".

Two days later, the snow is still around, but the roads are clear and normal activities have resumed. However, winter fatigue is setting in with just about everyone I talk to. But we wouldn't appreciate spring if we didn't have winter. I am very happy to live in a place with four distinct seasons. I don't really like the very hot and cold weather, but I do appreciate the changes. When I lived along the Gulf Coast, the seasons were not so distinct, and I hadn't realized until then how important the changing seasons were in refreshing my mental outlook. And for that I am thankful.

Well, time's up. I had the time set for 11 minutes today, but I had to reset it.

Until next time...