Ok, we had snow in March. SNOW IN MARCH! And hail. Twice. That’s an inauspicious start to spring.  Early on the morning of March 13, when the rain was falling hard again, I found myself wishing for something else: just please stop the rain. 

But like Hallie, the young character in All I Want for Christmas, I forgot to specify the desired change. In the movie, Hallie asked Santa to have her divorced parents remarry. When her mom announces her engagement to her stuffed-shirt boyfriend, she realizes she forgot to specify that she wanted her parents to remarry *each other*. Hilarity ensues. 

I made the Hallie error: I forgot to specify the desired change in the weather. I knew that rain was in the forecast along with flood warnings. No one said anything about snow. In fact, the weather app kept insisting it was raining in Olympia while the snow piled up outside. My bird friends and I were equally flummoxed. I had thought spring had arrived! Just the week before, I planted some new bare-root perennials, and the day before, I thought maybe I could bring out a few of the plants that had been overwintering in our garage. Nope. Don’t do it. False spring can get ya’ in the PNW.

I planted my bare-root plants in a few pots and a raised bed. Even with the snow, there are signs of life. 

I have mentioned before that the incredible Big Leaf Maples have taken a hit in our region. I have hope that recent saplings will adapt. Today, I realized there are about 15 Big Leaf Maples in the 12-foot-ish range in an area surrounding a wild section of our yard we affectionately call the fort. (The dogs love to climb in there.) Fingers crossed for their longevity.