Early March, we had the first of our usual 2 March storms, about 35-40 cms. I had bailed out to Rio de Janeiro on a working trip--that's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it. My wife was not impressed by my ignoring my job description: when the snowplough came round and made a berm about 2 ft high at the street end of our driveway, the Berm-shoveller was in Rio and she had to cover for me so that she could get to work... So in the interests of domestic harmony, we'll dodge our expected One Last March Storm and go to Australia's Gold Coast next week 'til mid-April, to see the kids and our first grandchild, just over 3 weeks old. :-) By the time we get back, all the snow will be gone 'til next winter (unless we get a May snowstorm!), the ice will be nearly out of the river, geese will be flying north, and we'll be into our two-week spring, with the 2-wheelers on the road, the crocuses poking up with the trilliums (trillia?) tulips & lilacs to follow.
Sometimes, about now, we think we'll live on a cold planet for the rest of our days. At least, during the last few months of winter, we get a fair dose of sunshine, much more than northern Europe & Foggie Olde. The usual euphemisms ensue, of course: "It's a dry cold." "At least it's sunny."
J.
