April weather

I woke very grateful this morning that the forecast was wrong. We were supposed to get snow. I thought, yes! It's raining here! But it was not to last. After four o'clock or so, the big wet snowflakes started to fall, and a nasty wind is howling around the corners of my building.

Amazing that some of the tiniest and most beautiful flowers in the garden (perhaps most beautiful because they are longed for after our winters), are hardly worried about a little snow.

My little neighbour, K., got these violets from her grandmother and planted them in the garden last summer.

A week ago, our weather was much more spring-like, the messy dregs of winter, the debris left by the squirrels' assaults on our gardens, all seeming manageable in bright, sunny and much warmer weather.

So, out into the garden I went, attracting the attention of many small kids in the neighborhood who first, wanted to know what I was doing, then, if they could help.

After the very satisfying afternoon I spent tidying up the garden, I participated in a belly-dance recital in the evening that was even more enjoyable because it was shared with my friend C., and supported by my crazy, lovable running gang.

Mistrusting the intentions of my running friends, I confess I feared their attendance would mean suffering through the hootin' and hollerin' of some of the more jock-like/tomboy members, but instead was tickled that they were most encouraging and even brought C. and me these gorgeous bouquets of roses!

The roses lasted and lasted, but a couple of days ago, I did take them out of water and hang them up to dry. They seem to be retaining their colour nicely, don't you think? I know I'll be able to enjoy them for quite a while longer. Eventually of course, the colour will gradually fade to a soft tan, should I decide to keep them that long!

In place of the roses, a small bouquet of the daffodils of the annual Cancer Society fund-raising drive now brightens my living room.

The rain makes me long for colour and I've been tempted to start hunting in the garden centres and grocery stores for pots of forced spring blooms. I had thought maybe putting them into large pots by the front steps would give all of us the hit of colour I need, especially today with big fat snow flakes starting to swirl around outside (noooo! say it isn't so!). But I'm not sure that even the toughies of spring, spring bulbs forced as they have been into early bloom in hothouses, can survive the ferocities and vagaries of our Canadian spring.