MARCH 31
Last weekend we had about 7 inches of snow. It started on Friday afternoon. The forecast for was "blizzard conditions", and indeed the snow was blowing hard. By morning we had a winter wonderland and it continued to snow half of Saturday. Then it warmed up and began to melt. By Sunday it was half gone, and by Monday, with 70 degree temperatures, the snow was completely gone and the fields began greening up. We desperately needed the moisture. The current conditions mean the morrel mushrooms should start shooting up! But today it was 32 degrees in the morning and will be chilly all day. So we're looking for the next warm day to go out and hunt the mushrooms.

Andy's progress on the remodeling has been delayed -- he has been hired to work as a census worker and they are already starting their canvasing. He spent an entire week in training, and this week he will be out in the field gathering information. The pay is decent though. We are still hoping to have the second bedroom ready in April, but it may be nearer the end of the month at this point. Actually, that will be perfect timing weatherwise. The gardens are sprouting, and I even saw a bluebonnet blooming in my garden just before this past cold front came through. Now that we've had some moisture, I'm sure everything will pop.

WAITING FOR SPRING WEATHER

WE'VE HAD A FEW DAYS OF NICE WEATHER, SUNNY AND WARM, AND THEN A COLD FRONT CAME THROUGH EARLIER THIS WEEK AND BROUGHT A LIGHT COVERING OF SNOW. BUT IT WARMED UP BY MIDDAY AND THE SNOW WAS GONE BY THE LATE AFTERNOON. TODAY IS OVERCAST BUT WARMER, IN THE MID-30'S, AND EXPECTED TO GET UP TO 50 DEGREES.

SPRING FLOWERS ARE COMING UP -- JONQUILS, CROCUS, FORSYTHIA, AND THE QUINCE ARE BLOOMING. THE CURRANT ARE PUTTING ON LEAVES AND YELLOW FLOWERS. THE IRISES ARE COMING UP BUT NONE ARE IN BLOOM QUITE YET. ANDY AND I WALKED AROUND THE PROPERTY LAST WEEKEND WHEN THE WEATHER WAS NICE AND SAW SEVERAL PATCHES OF IRISES COMING UP IN THE WILDERNESS.

WE'VE PUT IN A GARDEN SPACE UP BY THE BARN, WITH FENCING TO KEEP THE CRITTERS OUT, AND LAST WEEKEND I PLANTED SOME POTATOES. I'LL PLANT ONION AND MORE POTATOES AND GARLIC THIS COMING WEEKEND. THE PLANTING SEASON FOR COLD-WEATHER VEGETABLES IS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY HERE, I AM TOLD, BUT I AM EAGER. WE COULD HAVE A FREEZE AS LATE AS EASTER, EVEN MID-APRIL, BUT I FIGURE THAT ANY FREEZE AT THAT TIME WON'T BE LONG-LASTING AND AN OVERNIGHT FREEZE WON'T HURT THE COLD-WEATHER PLANTS THAT ARE WELL-MULCHED.

ANDY IS TEARING OUT THE "OKLAHOMA ROOM" THIS WEEK. HE WAS DELAYED BY HIS DAD'S VISIT BUT IS BACK AT WORK TODAY. WE HAD GOOD REVIEWS ON THE "TEXAS ROOM" -- FROM DREW AND HIS GIRLFRIEND MCCALL, WHO CAME TO STAY WITH US LAST WEEKEND. HE COMPLIMENTED US ON OUR CHOICES OF COLOR AND HOW WARM THE ROOM FELT. WE STILL HAVE SOME DECORATING TO DO IN THAT ROOM, AND HAVE WINDOW SHADES ORDERED, BUT IT IS USABLE. ANDY IS ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF DESIGNING THE DECK FOR THAT ROOM BUT WON'T START BUILDING UNTIL WE HAVE SOME WARMER WEATHER . . . PROBABLY IN APRIL.