Dreaming in Central Oregon

FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

There are at least a couple of blooms out there to see. First crocuses.

But the rest of the garden beds look like this:

I just had to get out there and do something though, so I cleaned out two beds.

This one has a lot of spring flowering bulbs just coming up. (Stay posted)

I helped them by uncovering them to the sun, a good spring thing to do.

And this one is empty, ready for the dahlias we will plant in May.

Both beds were covered with pine needles, pine boughs, pine cones, pine cone skeletons and pine cone leaves in a thick layer. I think eating the cones has been the way our squirrels have survived the recent storms. Just wish they wouldn't throw their remains down on my garden!

Someday we will have green again and lovely blooms. Dreaming of spring over here in Central Oregon!

Remembering March 12, 1946

March 12, 1946... the day my parents were married. A newly returned Air Corp soldier from the Pacific Theater of WW II, married a shy high school graduate from Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington.

This morning I grabbed a cup of coffee and a small tape recorder and tape and listened to my Dad tell about his war adventures and then meeting my mom and getting married on this day 73 years ago. It was great to have a 'visit' with Dad and hear his voice once again. They were both present, and together they said "March 12" and then Dad repeated 1946. A special day in our family for sure.

A quick update on our trip to the Willamette Valley. We had a great time reconnecting with family for sure, and remembering the life of a wonderful woman of God. But seeing spring blooms? No way. It was cold, raw and muddy. I did see a patch of daffodils where the stalks were above ground, but quite a ways from blooming. Guess Oregon spring is still mulling over making an entrance, while winter still has a firm grasp on things. The good thing is that we know it's coming. It has always come, and the signs of spring will once again show the hope of resurrection.

Came in Like a Lion, Going Out Like a Lamb?

 Well, March did come in like a lion, more like a pack of lions. We have lived here for over 30 years, and I have never seen such a late series of winter storms. Let me be clear, I LOVE snow. I can never usually get enough of it. But these last weeks, even I cringed to wake up to more grey gloomy skies letting go of yet more snow flakes.

 We have been in a frozen pocket of gray freezing fog for two weeks, plus the snow. Cold temperatures, that I think the lowest was 4 degrees, and the usual highs were under 20 degrees. We got an initial dump of 3 feet of snow at once, then it added up over days to 4 1/2 feet or so at our house. 

 Oh for childhood, when we had no responsibility for the snow, just the fun. People struggled all over town, to shovel or snow blow homes and businesses, and later to get snow off roofs and chip away ice dams. Let alone just drive anywhere. Schools were down all week and many businesses for at least two days or more. 

 Even I, snow lover that I am, got down and tired of all the struggle. The insurance man was out every day shoveling, and caught a bronchial bug that he tried to ignore, but managed to share with me. I think if this had happened in December, deep winter, like it's supposed to, it wouldn't have been quite so bad. But my daffies, tulips and crocuses had already broken ground and I was looking forward to a bit of spring bloom. Who knows when all this ice will melt and we will see ground again? 

 As I write this, at least the cold and fog have lifted, and we are seeing sunshine and blue skies. What a treasure that is. Hope once again for rebirth and springtime. We are also headed over the mountain pass (feet upon feet of snow) for a memorial service, and should see some blooms in the Willamette Valley. I snapped this photo two weeks ago, on the Oregon Coast, to reassure myself that spring blooms do still exist somewhere.

Here is to hoping that March goes out like a lamb!