March didn't rampage into 2023 this year, so it's possible it has taken that old adage: "in like a lamb, out like a lion" seriously. Hard to say whether we winter-weary people would rather have had the month enter like a lion and exit like a lamb. In any event, weather has never listened to us for advice. And it seems clear that the month decided to steal a march on its succeeding month. April, bouncing in tomorrow, will find it hard to match March's upstaging event on departure. So much for April Fool's Day.

March fooled us; what more can April do on arrival to shatter our expectation aplomb of spring? 

 

 We knew the forecast was for snow. And tomorrow is supposed to ratchet all the way up to 12-degrees Celsius. We'll believe it, as that hoary old quip goes, when we see it, feel it, revel in it. But of course the fly in that ointment is that accompanying that promised mild temperature will be rain, rain, spring rain. Which will wash away all the new snow that is accumulating today, since we're in the throes of a wintry-spring snowstorm.

I was busy in the kitchen this morning doing my Friday baking and usual Friday night meal pre-preparation, and there was no sign of snow, although the sky was overcast. But then, it began snowing lightly and soon the snow picked up appreciably and darned if, on the very final day of March we were into a spring snowstorm. No wind, it fell straight down, the atmosphere clouded with snow.

There's an upside to everything. What was beginning to look rather rude on the forest floor with the snowpack diminishing and revealing ordure we'd rather not confront, much less step in, has now been replaced by a growing new layer, freshening up the landscape. Not only that, but the colder temperature plus the new snow has made the forest trails much more boot-friendly. 

The snow swirled down like a semi-opaque veil, quickly covering the tree canopy which had been bare of snow for weeks. Jackie and Jillie sporadically looked like little snow-dogs, before vigorously shaking it all off from time to time. We may be prepared to bid adieu for another year to these weather events but when we're directly experiencing them, we smile with childish delight.