In which winter returns (kind of)

This week, I began to question my confident assertion that we were experiencing a false spring, and that winter would soon shuffle back in. We were still experiencing warm weather, with the lows averaging higher temps, and generally having warm, mild days. With it just being March, I started to doubt if winter really would make a comeback. But comeback it did. Kind of.

 A few days ago, it was 55 F, but when I checked the weather forecast, it was predicting a blizzard! The next day, around noon, a thunderstorm rolled in. It was 54 F, but the temperature steadily dropped, and by 8 pm, it had hit 34 F. A blizzard had rolled in, and it was incredibly windy, shaking our lamppost and threatening to bend the mature aspens that frame our side of the lake. Everything was covered in snow, but it wasn’t deep.

The next day, it mostly melted. How aggravating! We had various errands to run and I wasn’t able to take Little Lion out to go play in the snow. Mind you, this is only the second time this winter it has snowed. And it melted right away! Nebraska, you’re on my list.

The morning after the storm, the lake was dark and moody. The wind still whipped up waves, white against the dark gray-blue water. It was starkly contrasted by the yet-to-melt snow, which sandwiched it on all sides.

As the day went on, the sun warmed up the snow and cast light on the lake waters. It was clear that the storm had caused quite a lot of muddy silt to be cast into the lake, as it was obviously brown and murky. There’s a certain inlet that I know of that recently had quite a lot of trees felled due to storm damage, as well as soil runoff from the construction site across the street, as well as erosion along the banks. All that to say, there’s a lot of dirt being dumped into the lake. Hopefully when spring returns and more plants take root, it will help reduce the soil drainage and erosion.

Thankfully, there were some patches of snow that refused to melt, so Little Lion did get a chance to play outside the next day, and the next. With the warmer temperatures returning, we’ve also had flocks of geese gathering around the lake. This gave Little Lion the chance to do one of his favourite activities: goose chasing! He’s also discovered puddle jumping and wallowing in the mud. I’m extremely grateful for snowboots and snowpants, which keep him warm and dry for all of his adventures.

I do feel that winter is close to ending, which is a little sad. Mainly because this winter was just subpar. There wasn’t much snow, and when there was snow, the weather wasn’t amenable to play in it or we didn’t have the proper gear to safely play in it. We’re nearly at spring, and I’m sure we might have a few more blustery days and possibly a few flurries, but I’m not sure anything will stick.

I think it’s time to start looking ahead to spring, and also researching where to live to actually have a snowy winter. Is your winter snowy? Let me know in the comments below, maybe I’ll check it out!

Sierra