IS IT SPRING YET?

This winter has definitely been one to remember. Just this morning I had an Email from an old friend who lives in a VERY SOUTHERN part of PA. He said that they had 40 inches of snow there! That's over 3 feet! We had a lot here also, but nothing like that. Here I am talking as if winter is over, when I can remember having new snow in April. Perhaps I'd better keep quiet. The tractor with the blower attached is still in the garage in the spot where my husband parks his car. He said that makes it easier to come out blower first to get rid of the drifts that usually accumulate in front of the garage. It also helps me create a spot where the dogs can do their business. Then, when the upper driveway is cleared, I can follow up with the snow shovel from my wheelchair to clear further so that I can watch them when they're outside. A major snow poses problems, since Shih Tzu's have short legs, and the ground clearance of their bodies is only about 4 inches. Compare this to Lucy, the yellow Lab next door, who goes bounding out on her long legs without a care about mounds of plowed snow, or drifts.

One thing here that definitely points to spring are the buds on the mystery trees. They are the first to bloom every year, and they herald the coming of the fruit trees' blossoms. After that, the daffodils that the previous owner planted in the tree line behind us come peeking out, followed by the hyacinths and early tulips. Yet here it is not even half way through March, and I think I am being ridiculous to think about having spring yet. We still have 3 solid weeks of March mud to plod through that will usher in Palm Sunday, Passover, and an early Easter. I hate early Easters. The only flowers are the lilies at the church altar, and they make me sneeze. Little kids in their Easter outfits are usually cold, as are their mothers who looked for coats that reached the right length to cover their dresses. I remember one year watching my neighbor getting the family ready for church. She had a middle length dress over which she wore a short topcoat. Smart lady!

I had intended to write and post this article over the weekend, but that went the way of all good intentions when my husband ventured out to Home Depot™ in search of tools to get my ailing scooter repaired. Going there is dangerous for him, since in the aisles lie temptations galore that can lure any man faster and with more dangerous results than a Venus flytrap. Words like "screw set", "forever glue", nuts for metric bolts (sorry, I don't speak metric, but tools do), and all manner of temptations are there, waiting to snare him. Finally, after about 3 hours, husband with purchases returns from his voyage. I am proudly shown his loot, about which I understand little, but I nod and smile anyhow. If this is what it takes to get my scooter working again, I can only offer thanks and approval. If these things solve the problem, I will be able to work outside again, hopefully before the next snow season.