Today is possibly my favorite day of the whole year.
Oh, it isn’t my birthday, anniversary or any special day at all. It is just the first day of the month that is hinting that winter weather might soon be over.
February, the longest month of the year is finally over again (surprisingly quickly for a change) and it will be eleven months before it rolls around again. Call me Pollyanna (only those of you in my age bracket will have the slightest idea what that means…) but I am looking forward to the next eight of those months!
Marvelous Muddy March, the messy, windy month, begins today, hopefully coming in – and out like a lamb for a change. That means the official start of spring is only eighteen days away, and before we know it, crocus and iris and spring flowers will be peeking up again.
Meanwhile that wonderfully welcome, muddy, yucky mess we call spring will soon be allover Clare County. Jack says the signs are all there, including an abundance of animals wandering around. We have been seeing evidence of that in the abundance of “road kill” spotted whenever you travel lately.
We still have tiny little piles of snow out there and the temps are still pretty cool at night, but I heard that some maple trees are already tapped with expectations of a bumper crop of maple syrup this year. And, of course the squirrel population around town has exploded!
With temperatures predicted to hit 70 degrees this week, I am sure the snow will be gone before we know it and any late storms (March surprises) we get will melt away again within a day or two.
Note: Must be Michigan…It’s Wednesday and the temperature is down in the 20s again with snowflurries!
This time of year, the sun, when it shines, feels absolutely wonderful and really blows away those winter blahs. The birds and all the critters out there know spring is coming. I have been seeing flocks of birds hanging around the feeder every day.
March is a great month in Clare. The 49h annual Irish Festival begins in less than two weeks with all of those crazy fun activities we all enjoy and probably some new ones too. One that always makes me laugh is watching those wacky bed races down McEwan. They started in 1994 and 30 years later they are still a big hit!
There will be a huge craft show, Irish recipes to sample, a parade full of clowns and a 5K and 10K walk and run. There’s more. There is a Leprechaun Contest, Kids Fun Run, entertainment, Irish food everywhere, and a holiday concert to enjoy after tasting the Irish Recipe Contest winners.
Of course, that is just a hint of things to come. The fun will be found in locations all around Clare, so watch for it!
Speaking of the proximity of spring, I am getting that awful urge again. You know the one: to clean out all of the drawers, reorganize the closets and wash the windows inside and out…
Unfortunately for most of those chores, I now have to rely on my handy, dandy house husband Jack who has taken over those tasks due to my increasing health issues.
These days, I just want to get out there and sit in the sunshine while I watch the grass grow (it is already doing that, and the snow isn’t even all gone yet…).
But that doesn’t stop me from those spring urges. I’m resisting. Even if I did clean closets and drawers, I would just spend the next six months trying to find where I put the stuff anyway – and if I wash windows, you all know it will rain the next day. My problem these days is that I don’t even have enough drawers to put all my ‘stuff’ away. It could be time to ‘purge’ the place again and pass some of that stuff along to those who may need or want it more than I do.
And, speaking of cleaning, if this spring “virus” hits you [It is caused by a sudden rise in temperature outside], try to resist.
It will go away in a month or two.
