Welcome to Winter

It's going to be 91 in Sun city today. Sound like winter? No? OK, how about 34 right now in St. Paul, snow overnight still sitting on the leaves scattered across my lawn? Still not impressed? Go a bit south and east and try shoveling the 18" which fell Wednesday/Thursday in a few places, heavy wet stuff which is collapsing roofs, breaking trees, creating power outages. Now are you impressed?

Yesterday I drove Canon Falls, to the edge of the do-not-drive-here area, making a pick-up for work. Not knowing the road conditions, I left in plenty of time to tolerate delays. I arrived with time to look around. The tall clumps of snow the plows left along the roads caught my attention - and my camera. Small breaks in the piles letting light through glowed in that beautiful glacier blue, indicating how high a water content they held.

My yard is confused. Normally my snowdrops and scillas bloom first, then crocus, then daffodils start. Things thawed so late they're all taking advantage of their chance and blooming at once. Kinda nice, actually.

Ice out? One of the bays in North Lindstrom lake was still filled last night with those last dregs of ice which move around depending on wind direction. Usually you see them for maybe a day. They've been traveling without significant melting for three now. You can take a boat out if that bay doesn't happen to be the one with the boat launch, but why? Brrrr!

This weekend is Cinco de Mayo. Richard usually has his first gig of the year setting up in St. Paul. Not only will it be cold and rainy, but the vehicles are stuck south of Rochester in deep snow where they have been parked for the winter. The boss is trying to figure out if he can get them plowed out and on the road. I suspect he's also wondering why.