Same Old Weather!

It gets really tiresome waking up to snow on the ground every morning! Today was white again, and it has been cold and blustery all day. We had a little rain, then snow, lots of wind, and more snow. There isn't any on the ground at the moment, but at only 35 degrees, and I expect heading downward, we will no doubt be white again tomorrow morning.

I have had lots to do indoors today, but I had to go outside a couple of times and believe me, it's raw and very unpleasant. There hasn't been much traffic on our road today, so I expect most folks are staying inside where it's warm. I spoke with Diane a little before noon, and there has been no change in the ice, at least no visible change. There has been plenty of wind, but I don't think the big pond is open enough for the ice to move around much, especially from north to south, as the wind seems to be predominantly out of the north or northwest. So the clock is still ticking.

Early this morning I looked out at my pond and there was a lone goose standing at the edge. By the time I got my phone and was hoping to take a picture, it had gone. I expect he was a scout looking for a possible nesting spot, and very likely decided there would be much better nesting choices elsewhere. Later on, I noticed two birds  in the pond. They were at the closest end, but I couldn't get a good picture, so I'm not sure if there were geese or ducks. It appeared to be a male and female (one was larger, black and white, while the smaller one was gray/brown), and they hung out there for quite a while. They finally left in a snow squall. With no grass, reeds or bushes around the pond, there was no protection from the wind and snow, and I'm guessing they decided to head for a place where there was at least some shelter from the weather -- and some food! It would be slim pickings at my pond, as no vegetation has had a chance to get established yet, either in the pond or around it. 

I had a note from Andy Rudin a few minutes ago. He had apparently put some seedlings outside recently to harden them off, but he said the forecast for Philadelphia is frost tonight, so he was taking everything back inside. I noticed on Friday when I was in Danville the grass is getting green down there. No sign of any green here yet! Those folks down south in Danville don't know how lucky they are!

I had my whole family here yesterday for a pre-Easter dinner, and it was great fun. I haven't put together a big meal like that in absolutely ages. Usually when we get together, everyone brings something and that is always wonderful, but this time, I thought I'd give everyone a break. They all work and they are constantly doing things for me, so I thought  they could use a break. I made side dishes earlier in the week, and did most of the prep work on vegetables, etc., ahead of time, so yesterday it was mainly a matter of timing everything so it all got done at the right time. We had nine at the table, and Bob and Jamie took a meal to a neighbor who couldn't be with us. Everyone had a good time, and after dinner, I didn't even have to clear the table or do cleanup duty! I admit, I was happy to sit in my chair and let "Young America" do the dishes.  Everyone went home with leftovers, and I still have plenty of ham, salad, mashed potato, mack & cheese and pineapple/coconut cake left for several meals. Tomorrow I will package up frozen dinners for nights I don't want to cook - and those happen pretty often these days!

Easter should be a time of hope and renewal, but with so much devastation, hatred, and cruelty in the world at the moment, it's hard to be stay optimistic. I hope all of you had a safe, happy Easter celebration, and we all hope for a peaceful solution to the world's problems. Take care, stay warm and be safe.