Thundersnow

It's spring in Wyoming. And we know it is because Thursday we saw the phenomenon of "thunder snow." You got it. Thunder/lightening and a snowstorm all in the same instant. I remember old timers talking about winter and spring storms -- forever. I understand the theory of "too cold to snow" and rings around the moon and potato planting on Good Friday. Thundersnow, however, just takes my breath away. Wow.

Our office discussion this week circled around the arrival of spring flowers. My sister sent me a spectacular bouquet of iris and yellow tulips. It arrived in a cardboard box, delivered by FedEx. Why did these flowers even survive? Yet they have provided us spring colors as they have opened up and shared their beauty. Next came the daffodil delivery from the Cancer Society fund raiser. This morning I watched the Cherry blossom festival on a tv news program. The trees in Washington DC are in vibrant bloom.

But there are no spring flowers peaking up in my yard. In fact my flower beds are still covered in snow. I planted additional tulips, crocus and jonquils last fall, and I am anxious to see if they have survived. I need to know that they will harken spring for me for years to come. But it has not happened yet.

Obviously March 21 means nothing in Wyoming -- unless we use the date as one of HOPE. Hope does spring eternal -- or is it spring is hope -- or hope is eternal. Anyway, the thundersnow remains our strongest indication of spring on this last day of March. April showers will surely come -- as will my garden flowers.

Happy spring watching to you -- Patty

Perfection

I just walked past the George Amos Room and saw the perfect library photograph. Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and three children were ensconced in the sofas and easy chair in front of the fireplace. Every one of them was reading a book.

How often do you make family visits to the library? Do you share that passion for reading that your grandparents or parents shared with you? One of my favorite memories raising my boys was the week they spent creating "Charlotte's Web" in a bedroom. There was yarn everywhere -- from doorknob to window frame, from ceiling light to bedpost. It was a work of art, sincere concentration, and great good humor. It was a pleasure.

As a grandmother, the pleasure continues with the little children as we work together on stories, words, pictures. I have a two year old who really doesn't want to talk, but he can make the sounds of every animal in the world. Really. I did not know what a zebra or giraffe sounds like -- but he does. He is equally good with mechanics catalogs because he can make engine, tractor, saw sounds too. Ah, my.

So you see, it's true. A simple picture is often worth a thousand words. My library picture today brought a rainbow of memories to me. It was a good reminder, because today was an early release day for school, and there was lots of after school energy bubbling through the building. Thank heavens for blue skies and good weather. Nearly all of our young visitors spent part of the afternoon outside throwing snowballs and tromping through water puddles.

It's already March, and Sunday clocks spring forward. We are still looking for more snow, and all I want to do is curl up in front of the George Amos Room fireplace and read a good book.