March has always been a crazy month – volatile, unpredictable, kind of like the stock market at the moment. You can expect snow, sleet, rain, howling winds, warm breezes, sunny days, gray skies or all of the above. Despite the Rodent and Company’s optimistic predictions for an early spring we have not had very many warm days and the few we did have were overcast. In fact March came in like a lion with a big snowstorm, so hopefully it will go out like a lamb. (It did not….3 C – 37 F today).
Thankfully, the snow melted quickly, like the wicked witch of the west – revealing snow drops a few days later.
I have a lovely view from my kitchen window as my neighbor has about ten clumps of them scattered around the base of an old tree, like a little fairy woodland.
The daffodil shoots were up the first week, growing by leaps and bounds.
Our imaginations can leap forward to this vista of sunny yellow.
On St. Patrick’s Day we had grocery shelves reminiscent of the great Potato Famine,
but a spring rain changed the grass to Shamrock green overnight,
which was then covered up by more snow on March 23….ugh….
This is Spring?
The library might be closed due to COVID-19,
but the crocuses in front of it were open for business.
The robins were back,
and the tundra swans crossed the border early because our Prime Minister had ordered all international travelers home!
They winter in Chesapeake Bay and rest at the Thedford Bog, an Ontario marshland, before flying on to their breeding grounds in the Arctic.
The March winds were brisk and perfect for kite flying. There were rare sightings of children in the park trying this ancient activity, well their dad was trying. They looked too young and seemed more interested in examining the ground as toddlers like to do, while the dad was busy untangling the string. (No picture as he couldn’t get it airborne).
“Airborne” by Joni’s mom
I’ve never seen so many people out walking before, entire families have taken up the joy of exercise and their dogs are happy too. I met Millie a Golden Retriever puppy who was ecstatic at being in The Great Outdoors, but at 12 weeks soon tired of walking and had to be carried home.
We might be out of bread and soup,
but they will return, just like these old faithful perennials.
These dandelions need to practice social distancing….
On March 25, there was finally a day warm enough to sit on the front porch, sheltered from the wind, with a magazine and a mug of tea. It’s so nice to feel the sun on your face after a long cold lonely winter (the Beatles).
While the stores and restaurants may be closed and the grocery shelves empty, we can replenish our souls with nature and rejoice! May the Gods of Spring place a pox on COVID-19!
PS. As other people have observed, this crisis may be the Earth’s way of healing from all the climate change, by calling a time out – a message from Mother Nature.
thehomeplaceweb 
🙂 love seeing the view from home…almost! Over here, we had snow last night that switched to freezing rain. As long as it stops before June, I won’t complain too loudly. Can’t wait to see what you grow this year…I always enjoy our ‘porch sessions’!
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I’m not sure I’ll be growing anything Debbie. Ont says gardening centres are on the essentials services list due to the veggies/food, so they may be open for business. I’ll at least try and put the garden in so I don’t have to venture out for salad! Snow – ugh –
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Hope to get the deck furniture out in April if the weather cooperates….looking forward to reading on the swing. Stay safe!
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Lovely!
In Switzerland they closed the garden centers and much to my aunt’s horror, composted all the flowers.
I did not know the GTA is keeping garden centers open…good to know.
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It might be up to the garden centres owners (and staff) if they will open though, as here in my small town the only hardware store is closed even though it too is listed as an essential service. I heard the staff didn’t want to work and the franchise owner closed it.
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I understand…
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What a delightful post, Joni! You had me chuckling again and changing my attitude. Here in Central Washington, the sun is out to warm up a March easing out after yesterday’s wind storm that brought in another overnight freeze. Today, my gardeners are cleaning out the perennial and herb garden beds and gathering birch limbs from winter storms. These two men are my old faithfuls from years back. I’m even more appreciative of their hard work now that I can no long handle more than light puttering. Oh, and geraniums and ferns on my porches. I’m really looking forward to “decorating” my courtyard for late spring through early fall. Already, I’ve put out the blue cushions and pillows where Charlie (my darling Cocker Spaniel companion) and I like to bask in spring sunshine . . . when it chooses to shine brightly.
By the way, your daffodils are ‘way ahead of mine. Tulips are up, but only a few red ones in the back have bloomed so far. The “yellows” in the front are up but not ready for bloom, and peonies already are up six to eight inches.
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Thanks Jo! Those aren’t my daffodils in bloom, they’re the ones in front of the library from last year. Mine are the closed ones above it – they look like they could be open in about a week if it gets warmer which it may by next weekend. I’m trying to focus on positive stuff! I haven’t checked the peonies yet but my backyard is still very soggy from all the rain.
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March was a little wonkier than January and February which was just plain warm. We are having moderate weather but so much gloom and drizzle. We did have a day or two of sunshine but not back to back. Mother Nature can not be hurried along. She’ll say it’s spring when she wants to.
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Same here – we really only had one day of porch sitting weather, now back to gloom and doom, although it may be warmed by the end of the week, but we don’t seem to get much sun.
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What a delightfully refreshing read! I love your sense of humour and your apt descriptions. This has been a real tonic in these trying times!
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Thanks Anne! I’m trying to stay focused on the positive things, of which one is nature and spring, my favorite season, which is just starting here!
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May the Gods of Spring place a pox on COVID-19!
Yes, yes. You said it.
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Was it from Romeo and Juliet – a pox/plague on both your houses?
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I think so. It’s been a long time since I studied Shakespeare. I like your line, regardless of its original source.
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Thanks for the smiles, chuckles and pretty pictures. We’re getting some very nice weather in SW Colorado right now. Put out the patio furniture and started all the yard cleanup work. I’m hoping I can find more seeds to plant in the veggie garden and barrels. I hear “victory” gardens are going to be a thing this spring, and seeds are getting hard to come by.
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Yes, Victory gardens – an excellent idea!
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It was a delightful romp—a tonic for the spirits!
I love snow, but we’ve had just one light dusting so far. However, I was born during an April blizzard, and since the weather world has gone awry with the rest of life as we knew it, who knows what will happen next?
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It was a delightful romp—a tonic for the spirits!
I love snow, but we’ve had just one light dusting so far. However, I was born during an April blizzard, and since the weather world has gone awry with the rest of life as we knew it, who knows what will happen next?
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Thanks Annie! We’ve been known to have a blizzard in April, so I’m not putting my boots away yet!
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I seem to have missed those ugly last gasps of winter, being cooped up and all. All of a sudden spring is practically here. I would love to practice social distancing from yard work, but I fear that certain tasks will be deemed essential.
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Social distancing while doing yard work – sounds like a blog to me? Could be used to excuse all kinds of spring projects. Hardware store is closed here, even though the government said it could be open as it is on the essential service list, same with the plant nursery.
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I am going to take a stab at posting again – hopefully I am not SPAMMY. I loved this post Joni – all the things that weather folks say characterize March and if you don’t like the weather, stick around five minutes. I like the snow on your deck which all goes together and also those beautiful snowdrops. I see them in the next block but they are not as big of a group. The touches of color fills our hearts with joy and take away from what it happening at the present time and swirling around us.
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Thanks Linda! I’m going to try and get caught up on Reader tonight but I am 5 days behind….
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At least it worked this time. I got here this afternoon maybe 3:00-ish and tried to catch up with other social media stuff I missed yesterday. I had high hopes for getting everything done and a post for Monday written – I must’ve been dreaming or had high hopes. I still have Reader and e-mails to do and it’s 6:30 p.m. When I decided to set this day aside to catch up, I was not going to walk. I changed my mind (for today anyway).
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I’m only 3 days behind now, walked today but a cold north wind. There’s just so much more to read lately, and with the news and emails and phone calls, I think I got more done on blog when things were normal!
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Yes, I feel the same way Joni – when I finish at work, I want to read what has been happening besides what I have heard on the AM radio station which is all news. I am like you and reading, reading and I am now two days behind and just finished some of the Comments. Want to have some coffee before I start to work – we have a stormy day in store.
A stormy evening too – which will put me even further behind.
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I’m caught up now and am going to try and stay that way if I can. Rain here, so no walk today unless it stops, but the grass is looking very green and the daffodils are almost out.
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We had a lot of rain today – I did not go out to run the car. It was torrential and a lot of rumbling. We are going to have some severe weather tonight. It was supposed to be between 8:00 to 2:00 a.m. – it is in Lansing which is about 100 miles from here.
The winds are to 70 mph, hail and possible tornado … just what we need, any of those three things. I am trying to catch up here before I shut down when it starts storming. I was trying to finish something – my boss is in the office as it is a school night – school didn’t start until 8:00 p.m. tonight and goes to 9:30. I am not likely going to make it to Reader before the storm arrives – I am listening to the weather – they give it every ten minutes on the “8s”. Something more to stew and fret over.
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It just rained torrentially here about 9:30 and thunder/lightening but only for about 15 minutes. I don’t like those kind of storms either and shut the computer off.
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I normally shut the computer off and unplug it, but I was concerned for the tornado and kept monitoring what was going on – I’m not good with understanding the radar and the one meteorologist is good about narrowing things down. The hail in some parts was so incredible – they said the size of golf balls and it was, I saw the photos. We had hail, but not as big and I saw no damage to siding or the metal blinds. We are having another storm tonight but not as severe. I am hoping I can get more caught up before it happens.
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No hail here, today was beautiful – sunny and warm, sat out on the porch for an hour. It felt like spring finally.
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Our weather is suddenly ugly and will continue to be so for the next 10 days or so … originally when I saw Easter was as late as it can be (I think) in April, I pictured lots of flowers, kids all dressed up, running around gathering eggs. We have an Easter Egg hunt in the park a couple of blocks away – I’ve gone a few times for pictures … Easter Bunny is here.
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What a beautiful uplifting post Joni! I love your thought of Earths way of healing itself from the climate change!
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It wasn’t my original idea, but there might be some truth to it!
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I enjoyed reading the playfulness of your post, Joni. I also adored seeing the pops of colors – our flowers aren’t opening up yet, so the photos you shared made me smile today! Thank you – stay well, stay safe, and enjoy the rays of sunshine on your porch as you read away! 🙂
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Thank you Shelley! Spring will come!
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