Spring!.......arrarrrgh!

the lovely dandelion.......

A friend of mine just sent me a picture of some beautiful little spring flowers poking their pretty heads thru the ground to welcome Spring in all it’s new born glory…….. another one wrote……”spring, yippee”!.......My sis just sent an email and said she had gotten all of the bulbs in the mail that she had ordered a month ago, and had spent all day outside getting them in the ground and could life get any better than this?........
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Well guess what. Yeah, sis, like last winter when we had 3 foot snow drifts……
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Spring……. I like your rainy days, but I know you won’t last long and summer will be upon us……Here is what I am facing……..
WEEDS! @#$!@#@#$! Dandelions are only the beginning….IF you can keep up with those, look out because it won’t be long before 50 different species find their way into the flowerbeds…..not to mention the grass that dies in the yard but flourishes in the gardens…..Here comes the back breaking, hand callusing, knee bruising work, and lots of it.

Then there are those long, never-ending days when (thanks to the idiot people who invented daylight savings time), it’s still light outside when it’s actually time to go to bed! Does anyone else feel guilty if you’re not outside working until 9:00 every night.? Your neighbors are….what’s wrong with you? If you do try to get some work done during the day, you’ll have to be prepared to sweat. Which reminds me, don’t ya just love the allergies when the trees bud out and the winds blow pollen through the air until you’re forced to wear a mask if you want to breath?

Yard work, yard work, and more yard work…. I have yet to walk outside to just set on the patio for awhile without seeing a weed to pull or something to fix, or an area that needs attention. Consequently, forget about relaxing in the paradise you’ve worked so hard to create outside, it’s impossible!  

Oh yes, and did I mention the millions of out of state tourists who’s travel begins right after school is out and lasts all summer? Not only do they take over your favorite fishing hole, and crowd you out of your favorite restaurant, and force you to wait in line an hour to get the boat launched on your favorite lake, but forget trying to take a normal drive in the mountains….. the traffic quadruples on a slow day and driving over 15 mph is speeding according to the lookyloos who hug the middle of the hiway even on the sharp curves, while Sunday driving on a Tuesday! 

Oh yes, and there is the bird poop everywhere you step….. The yard needing mowed every time you turn around….. Snakes and spiders making themselves at home within your boundries and thinking they have every right to be there. Don’t forget the bugs that love to fly around your ears when you’re trying to work or relax, and will eat you alive if you stand still for over 30 seconds…..

On top of all that, my husband enjoys having company over and grilling a casual supper outside for the guests……fine….he stands there and turns a hamburger over twice and claims to be cooking…….that’s after I’ve spent half the day making all the side dishes, and carrying half the kitchen out of the house to the patio, then back in after everyone leaves! Wasn’t it my granddad who declared the world had gone crazy when he exclaimed “We used to go to the bathroom outdoors and eat in the house – now we go to the bathroom indoors and eat outside! I don’t think I’ve ever had a barbecue or gone to a barbecue that the wind didn’t decide to come up at some point and blow dirt all over the food……

I know very few outdoor enthusiasts and fair weather friends who will agree with me, but I crave, and so love the dark dreary days of winter when a HOT breakfast tastes good.   When you can enjoy the comfort of sitting in front of the fire place on a cold, snowy evening and relax in the calmness of the snow and ice that keeps the world less active and running in a lower gear. Having the oven in the kitchen on with the odors of hot bread baking, or a pot of stew on top of the stove.   Watching kids make snowmen, sledding, and bundling up in ear muffs and gloves when one goes outside.   The joys of skiing down a beautiful mountain run early in the morning before the crowds hit the slopes, and hot chocolate.

Winter time to me, means a feeling of security……a natural way to stay protected from the outside world and I am at my best in the grips of a blizzard when I can be at home.

Ok, I’ll give ya the fact that after a very long, long winter,…. a day or two of sunshine does feel good…… It IS nice to get to go fishing now and then…. And the flowers ARE pretty (if someone else does the weeding), but come on, if you don’t have to work out in the elements, those flakes falling from the sky can be beautiful too…….Another plus for fall and winter are Thanksgiving and Christmas with all of our favorite foods like turkey & dressing and Prime Rib and home made candies……In the spring all we have is an Easter bunny that lays eggs, and jelly beans…..

So, welcome spring and summer, I guess there is nothing I can do but put up with you until you leave again……but I do hope you hurry outta here……
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Please come back soon winter, I will miss you while you’re gone…….
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Ok - tongue in cheek post, but I really DO Love winter......and I'm dreading the hot dry weather of the months ahead......    Bah Humbug on spring, but Happy Easter anyway!!..... :)