It’s the last Saturday in March. Next Saturday will be April Fool’s Day and the beginning of spring break for our local school district. The past week was busy and the next one looks to be the same, along with cold, stormy weather.
I’ve always counted March as the first month of spring. Last year our temperatures were already in the 90s. This year? Ha! We did reach 60 degrees for a brief moment on Friday, but not long enough for me to slip into cooler clothes.
The laundry hamper just keeps filling up with all these heavy knits we are wearing. I had somewhere to go every day this past week, until today, Saturday. I have done laundry, already, three days this week. Today is another day of three loads of heavy knits. I’ve had to wear warm layers when going out, whether for a meeting, an appointment, to shop, or to school for storytelling. Then, upon arrival back home, I immediately change into warm, around-the-house clothes, putting the worn clothes into the hamper.
Even Terry, who has stayed home all week, still trying to feel better after his COVID battle, has worn a set of heavy knits every day. No outdoor clothing to work in the yard as he just hasn’t felt up to that. I am hoping that week three will see good health and vitality as there is so much to do around here.
Of course, another storm rolls in Tuesday. More rain. More cold temperatures. It’s heartbreaking to see the pictures of people’s homes ruined by water and mud. I should not complain about washing more clothes, I have the space and appliances to do so. I should not complain about overgrown yards and dirty patio. Our trees are standing. Our yards not flooded. Nor fences blown over. Perhaps a little weathered around the edges, people and yard, we are still standing.
Perhaps no spring this year. We will just jump directly to summer with our 100 degree days.
Dkzody's Weblog 
It’s been chilly and wet here in the Pacific NW, too. Not entirely unusual, but we generally start seeing at least some signs of spring about now. Not so much this year except for a few daffodils cautiously emerging in some of the neighbors’ yards. Our yard consists of a low-maintenance rockery with some shrubs and a low boxwood hedge. In our 80s-90s, the mantra is “simplify”!
You’re way more ambitious about doing laundry than I am. We wear our heavy clothing 2-3 days before tossing it in the laundry. Of course, we don’t go out very often (except for my essential trips to the grocery, pet and drugstore) and we can no longer do much yard work, etc., so our clothes stay clean longer.
California has really borne the brunt of extreme weather conditions. In the 32 years I lived there, I don’t recall flooding or destruction on the scale of the past decade. We had occasional wildfires (sometimes serious) and flooding in lower-lying areas, but not like it is now. The climate is changing.
We are very concerned about fires this summer, what with all the water providing a bumper crop of weeds and grasses that will only turn dry when the sun shines and the wind blows. I talked with a farmer friend this morning at church. He doesn’t know if he will plant cotton this year and tomatoes are still on the drawing board, but who knows when they can even get in the fields to get ready to plant.
I am very glad to hear that you have escaped most of the worst of the awful weather, with no flooding and maintaining your power as well. It has to end sometime, doesn’t it? Very cold here today, too. A high temperature of 44. But the sun finally did make an appearance. 🙂
The snow melt will create problems when the weather turns warm. There is more snow in the mountains than we have had since 2005.
In my area Spring Break is mid- to late March, but the California grandsons had a week off in February (colloquially called Ski Week) and Spring Break in April
San Mateo School District always takes the last week of March/first week of April for their spring break. It never coincides with Easter like it does here in Fresno which is still very old fashioned in that way. I have one more week to read stories in March.
Oh dear sounds like our spring…..that never seemed to arrive, followed by a very late blooming summer. Now it’s become autumn….very quickly! There were floods – and fires – as well as ‘cold enough to snow’ temps in the High Country. Enjoy any spring flowers that are blooming as well as the school break….even if you are bundled up with the heating on😊
The daffodils have all been deadheaded, but the tulips are standing tall right now which adds a bright spot in the front yard.
Yikes, I didn’t even think about all the weeds and grasses that will dry out as the summer heat sets in. Hope people will be super aware and cautious about fires, but there are “natural” risks as well (i.e., lightning strikes), also the possibility of utility equipment related fires.
Farmers must be facing some very tough decisions, which can affect almost everyone in the end through food shortages and higher prices.
It’s 45 degrees in our area today but warmer temps are projected for later in the week.
Poor Terry… COVID just won’t go away. My friend in Illinois is vaccinated and boosted but caught it and has suffered with it along with her husband for 9 days now. She’s grateful she could take Paxlovid though.
No Paxlovid for Terry mainly due to his heart meds but everyone we know who did take the drug has developed long COVID. They are all older folk so we feel it best to not take the drug at our age. Terry is fine now, took 12 days to test negative even though he did start feeling better.