It’s the first week of March. In many places, that means that it is spring.
Not here.
The blogs that I read have photos of gardens with the plants poking their heads up through the dirt.
Dirt? We haven’t seen dirt since November. Here, the closest we’ve come to dirt are the chunks of our front yard pulled up by the snowplow and deposited alongside the street.
The snow has only one redeeming quality in my opinion. It is beautiful.
Over the past two days we have had 9 inches of the white stuff. Schools were closed today. Merle’s boss told him not to attempt his normal one-hour commute. He took a vacation day. I was home sick with the second day of a migraine. So we had a snow day.
He went out to plow out the driveway around 3 pm. Otherwise, neither of us have been out of the house, and don’t plan to be until tomorrow morning
When he was out, he took photos of our stream and the river. It really was beautiful, I admit.
The stream between our house and the main river channel after the fresh snowfall.
The main channel of the river stays open all winter due to a power plant upriver. We have trumpeter swans which migrate here each winter and stay until spring. They are still here (they will leave around mid-March). They were on the river today. Merle was able to capture a photo of them taking off the water. They “walk” on the surface as they get up the speed to fly off.
Yeah, gorgeous, I know.
The fact that the daylight hours are longer helps a bit. The fact that daylight savings time starts this weekend is a good thing.
But I am really ready for some dirt. The smell of mud. A plant. Some green.
Hopefully, the “warm” weather that is forecast-highs in the mid-30sF-will melt some of this relatively quickly.
I am ready to March into spring.
*******Update on the weight-loss contest between Mark, Steve, and me*********
No word yet from Mark.
Steve is up 7 lbs, under the guise of a master plan which included this gain. Hmmmm-
I am down 5 lbs from last week, giving me a net overall loss for this contest of 3 lbs.
I’m happy with that step forward.
Just My Life 
I think the author who wrote “March is the cruelest month” was on to something; it is the tantalizing of spring but holding it just out of reach with the last temper tantrums of winter. May spring come to your part of the world sooner rather than later 🙂
By: composerinthegarden on March 5, 2013
at 11:14 pm
An early spring is always welcomed here, but with suspicion-we wonder how we will pay for it later!
By: chlost on March 7, 2013
at 7:35 pm
Not to sound boastful, but, one of the nice things about Colorado, at least in Denver, which is not in the mountains, is that snow doesn’t linger very often. We can get a foot of snow one day, and, it can be virtually gone the next… a few winters ago, we had cold, and a record of something like 8 blizzards in a row… it was all strange and odd, and the front yard, which always melts first, was frozen and covered with solid, deep snow for a couple of months. So, I can relate to the desire to see something other than snow!
Congrats on the weight loss!
By: John on March 5, 2013
at 11:50 pm
You are lucky to be able to enjoy the snow but not be stuck with it. That would make it much more enjoyable. I hope the loss continues-slow but sure is better than the altermative.
By: chlost on March 7, 2013
at 7:34 pm
As a side note — at the moment, we’re bracing for 6-12″ of snow here on Saturday. After a day, today, that was 63-degrees…
By: John on March 7, 2013
at 9:17 pm
At least you know that it will be gone soon, and you have had the pleasure of the warm spring day. Enjoy on behalf of the rest of us!
By: chlost on March 8, 2013
at 10:52 pm
Good for you – you’re in the lead!
And you’ll be happy to hear we got snow today. Hoping it will disappear tomorrow since the high is supposed to go up to 46 tomorrow, and mid-60’s by the weekend.
By: Secret Agent Woman on March 6, 2013
at 12:24 pm
I imagine thaat your snow is gone already. Ours will be around for quite a while yet. Thanks—I will enjoy the lead for however long I can maintain it.
By: chlost on March 7, 2013
at 7:32 pm
Perspective. I flew into northern Arizona and was delighted to see snow!
When you retire you must come out here during that part of the winter that gets you down. Really like the photos M took.
Like that your in the lead – keep showing them how its done!
By: RustedGranny on March 7, 2013
at 10:13 am
I have been to Phoenix in the winter once. It was great weather. Merle really wants to be near some water when we go….so we will work to be snowbirds to someplace near the ocean, a large lake or river. Open to suggestions!
By: chlost on March 7, 2013
at 7:31 pm
The kids wore shorts today, so it’s hard to imagine snow elsewhere! Although, the northern part of Arizona is forecasted to get snow by Saturday.
Congrats on the weight loss…keep it coming!
By: jannatwrites on March 8, 2013
at 12:19 am
We are expecting a mix of snow and rain on Saturday as well. I was in Northern Arizona one November and we woke up to about 7 in. of snow. The streets were deserted. Here, that wouldn’t slow anyone down for long.People thought we were crazy.
By: chlost on March 8, 2013
at 10:54 pm
I think your post sums up what’s beautiful about where we live: we are allowed to feel the excitement of The Next Thing (aka “Spring”) while being forcefully reminded that our hopes aren’t in charge and that What Is (aka “remnant winter”) is more gorgeous than we can ignore. There’s a gorgeous tension between wish and reality.
We’re lucky to be asked to live on that edge.
All right, so what else? FIVE POUNDS since last week? You *are* eating, right? Don’t make me worry, O Competitive One.
Oh, and I’m sorry for that migraine. What suck.
By: Jocelyn on March 9, 2013
at 12:10 am
I realize that these few pounds of weight loss/gain are likely just variations in water weight. I take a diuretic and sometimes it apparently may work better than others.
I have to admit that I do not often feel lucky to live in this climate. In fact, other than a few days in the spring and the fall, I have a hard time appreciating it at all. Thanks for the reminder.
By: chlost on March 10, 2013
at 9:49 pm