It's Spring...no wait...It's Winter...

Monday and Tuesday were both days of 70 degrees, sunshine, blue skies, capri pants, walks outside, playing on the slide on our little playset, and actually not having to bundle up Tiny Princess like a burrito just to keep her warm. It was glorious, it was warm, my doors and windows were thrown wide as I blatantly worshiped the sun with all my being, soaking up the warmth, working through my issues of teething toddlers with relative ease in letting go of my irritation, sleeping with our bedroom window wide open.

Sometime last night, BB decided he was cold (which NEVER happens unless he is ill), and we closed the window, and turned the ceiling fan down to low. I fed the Tiny Princess, and climbed under the covers, and snuggled down, thinking sleepily "gosh it feels cold in here tonight".

That is because we awoke this morning to big, fat, fluffy, WET snowflakes falling from the leaden gray skies. The forecast says we're supposed to get up to 56 degrees but I shall only believe it when the thermometer in the truck says so. It is a typical Colorado March snow. Heavy, wet, messy. I am furious with myself for not leaving the Captain in his bed while Tiny Princess slept over the last 2 days to work in my garden cleaning out all the dead growth...this is magical snow. As it melts, the grass underneath will suddenly be more green than brown, the buds will explode into being on our trees, and the crocus, and daffodils and tulips will begin to green up, stretching to the warming skies and releasing their delicate blooms to brighten up the world. The birds will return in earnest, and I'll be greeted by the loud chirps as they fight for nest materials, and food, seeking out worms and other bugs and seeds from my yard. My rose bushes will go from brown to green, and begin to look bumpy and almost sinister as their buds start to appear. Soon, my apple and peach trees will be covered with soft blossoms, and the buzz of bees will fill the air as we play outside.

For now, however, I must content myself with coaxing life from the seeds of my herbs, which I have just planted in my snazzy seed starter trays (also known as egg cartons). I watch the condensation on the plastic wrap, and pray fervently that the seeds will germinate in much less than the 14 day average listed on the package...and will yearn for the weekend in which BB will rent a small rototiller and turn our garden boxes over, fill them with a mix of dirt, compost, compost starter, and manure, then top them off with a lovely layer of rich, black, soil, into which I will lovingly and reverently place my carrot, cucumber, squash and pumpkin seeds, alongside my tomato plants. I'll gently transplant my basil, ringing my tomatoes to keep the tomato worms at bay (seriously works y'all), and will set my strawberry plants (a first for us this year, and I can't WAIT for fresh strawberries from my garden), and hopefully a rhubarb plant. I'll plant peppers, beans, lettuce, and spinach.

Hmmmmmm...just dreaming of being up to my elbows in dirt, sweating, carrying the hose sprayer around and around, feeding once a week, and then beginning the harvest helps me get through the days like this that will come on and off over the next 5 weeks or so. Mother's Day cannot come soon enough...that's when we plant!