Winter Is Not Over

I am a fair-weather outdoor person.  I like the temperatures to be comfortable without having to layer too many clothes, I like only gentle breezes, I try not to walk in the rain, and I definitely never walk in the snow.  I might fall and hurt myself…been there, done that – ugh!

This past week, the lovely shirt-sleeved temperatures of January and February have been taken over by the cold, below freezing, temps of winter. We even received a bit of snow, fortunately not the 12” as had been forecast.

our south-facing pastures melted quickly

My daily walks have stopped.

daffodils in flowers...drooped

I should be seeing bold and bright PINK quince blooms, not brown.

My garden of early daffodils, many in full bloom, and numerous spring-flowering perennials can attest to this weather degradation with their withered, browned, and limp flowers and flower buds which had been at- the- ready to burst into beautiful pastel color. 

close-up of the weather-damaged quince flowers

We were all saying that the season was about one month ahead of the average.  I was enjoying the early flowers and color, and I was especially enjoying my early season walks with my dogs.

Now, I will not be having any perky pink quince blossoms, no lavender lilac clusters, and no late-blooming buttery-yellow daffodil bonnets this year.  I might still get a crop of the spring tulips, iris, flowering dogwood, and flowering ornamental pear, but I do not know for sure.  I will just have to wait, hope and see.

I am not surprised, it has happened many times before, but I am disappointed.  My remaining springs are numbered.  I do not want to waste a single one. Yet, I have no choice but to appreciate as much as Mother Nature will allow.

Mother Nature certainly does like to maintain her control.

At least, I did get a quick sampling of the early spring blooms to savor. And, I know more colorful flowers are to come…soon!  They always do.