March Snow and Signs of Spring

We're having a snow day! This morning we awoke to hearing that a State of Emergency had been declared in our county and that even the campus where Dan works is opening late. And they've delayed it even longer as the day has worn on. Co-op is canceled and digging out is underway. Dan is happy for the help from a now capable E12 and R10. I shoveled out a foot of snow the week before last by myself so I'm sitting this one out.

Oh the bliss of a shoveled driveway snow pile!

the village plow

Dan puts down the toboggan and tries to get a sled run going for the kids in our front yard.

This brings our snow total to about 160 inches for the season. I'm estimating based on local weather reports and some extrapolation. It snows here nearly every day in the winter some years. You have to shovel what are called flurries here. Snow's been on the ground since Thanksgiving and it started snowing at Halloween. That all adds up.

Just the other day we heard our first red-winged black bird back in town. Clusters of them have been chattering in nearby trees. We have a cardinal pair, which did not winter over here, beginning to nest in our yard. The sump pump is running more often- which indicates some ground thawing. The night before all this snow, it rained all night long (I haven't heard the sound of rain on our roof since October probably) and the previous 10 inches had melted away. By the time we woke up, it was snowing and only just stopped a bit ago (after at least 26 hours of steady snowfall).

I still think spring is on its way...living here means appreciating those early signs. I think even the red buds are out which is concerning because they could get nipped this early, but the days are getting longer so the trees are starting to wake up. Really warm spring days are a long way off. It's been known to snow on Mother's Day(which is did last year) and it's not safe to plant until Memorial Day.

But the bird calls make us happy and help us to wait patiently. There might be 19 inches of new snow, but the birds are back!