It was almost an April Fools’ joke, coming just one day late. After a week of cheering for the greening wheat fields and pastures, watching crocus and daffodil popping up and in full bloom, and the beautiful spring blooms on trees, a big dose of winter showed up to batter every bit of it.
Mother Nature
Last night, with plans to go away after the evening chores were done, Mother Nature helped change our minds. Earlier in the day blustery winds seemed cold enough to freeze the falling rain.
Weaning a group of lambs and turning ewes out to the east pasture would have been glorious freedom for them just a few days earlier. Yesterday, it seemed like punishment.
As the job was finished up, the rain was beginning to bounce off of us like ice pellets, then a mix of snow appeared. By the time we were back in the house, the rain had become fairly heavy snowfall. When the wind began howling, this old house felt as though it could blow off our hill.
Staying in
Looking out toward the new barn, heavy snow flying nearly horizontally, it seemed a great night to grab a blanket and watch Animal Planet episodes of Dr. Pol and Dr. Oakley — veterinarians in Michigan and Alaska, respectively.
While that battering wind howled and gusted, Doug reminded me he now knew for sure he had taken the snow fence down a week too soon. I had been so happy to see it go back in to storage, feeling so sure we would no longer need it.
Listen to the boss
My boss once quickly corrected me when he found me heading toward the storage closet with the snow shovel in my hand. “No, no, no,” he said calmly as he pointed toward the door I had just come in. “Leave it out there. As long as it sits out there in April, I bet we won’t get snow. You put that shovel away, and we’ll get a blizzard tomorrow.”
We woke this morning to the farm covered with snow; the thermometer sitting on 19 degrees. I should have listened to the boss. Mother Nature is surely in charge.
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