The Long Winter

We thought we were getting away with a mild winter. Mother Nature, however, had other ideas. As I said in a Facebook status recently, I think the March lion ate the lamb. A number of people have emailed to see if I’m okay, after seeing news of the nor’easter that hit us. We’re fine here, the power stayed on, we stayed warm, and despite the poor men in the family having to break their backs shoveling, we have come through it intact. We were right in the bullseye of that storm, and being above a certain elevation, we got hit pretty hard. When all was said and done, close to three feet of snow had fallen. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that is still hanging around in early May.

I am always amazed and impressed that so many wild animals are able to survive weather like this. Of course, our local deer population appears to be surviving at my bird feeders. Although I put that seed out to help my little feathered friends, I sure can’t begrudge the deer when they are dealing with snow that comes up to their bellies and beyond.

As to the domestic beasties in our family, the miniature horses are the only ones who think all that snow is a fun thing. They couldn’t wait to get out of the barn mornings and spent the first hour or so bouncing through the drifts, plowing paths and trails, and having a grand old time. Star gave me a good belly laugh when she discovered that she could reach the low hanging branches, pull on them, and bring mounds of snow falling down onto her head. Not my idea of a good time, but she seemed to get quite a kick out of it.

Kira, on the other hand, was less than thrilled, and Missie is glad she’s an indoor cat. My resident starlings agree with her!

While March snows (even big snows) are not unusual for our area, having that much dump on us at once is an, um … inconvenience … to say the least. The winter will pass, though. It always does. That’s the law of nature, after all, and though it may lurk about with ill intent, it cannot break the law. The redwing blackbirds and robins are home, the turkey vultures have returned, and I even saw a flock of cedar waxwings the other day—right before the storm ramped up. I hope my daffodils, which had already pushed above ground due to an unusually warm February, haven’t decided to pack up and move south. I’m looking forward to the flowers, the green grass, the buds on the lilacs, and all of the other pleasures of spring.

How are you faring, during these odd-weather times? Has your local climate brought you any surprises? Have you been seeing weather that’s simply not normal for your area? Feel free to leave a response in the post on my website, or on Facebook. I’d love to hear how you are doing, and how the current season is treating you and your animal families.

News and Info

In a recent newsletter, I hinted at my intention to retire in the fall. Many of you wrote, begging me to stick around. I acquiesced at the time. Since then, my health has continued to challenge me, and I’ve found that doing readings can cause difficulties. Without going into a lot of detail, I am forced to rethink my decisions and examine the situation more carefully. I realize that many people have pre-paid sessions on account, and, regardless of my status, I will continue to honor those for as long as my health allows. While I’m still holding out hope that things will improve, I must give careful consideration to the (increasing) possibility that I won’t be able to continue indefinitely. One possible plan is to limit readings to pre-paid package holders, and to cease sale of the 3-packs when I reach my “full retirement age” in the fall. I want everyone to know that this is difficult for me. It’s not a choice I want to make, but it may be a choice my brain and body make for me.

I will keep everyone informed in these newsletter issues. All issues are archived on my website, so if you know of people who are not subscribed, feel free to point them in the right direction.