Out on a Limb
Published: Friday, March 9, 2018
March showed up like a lion this year. Except some places in Michigan had a much larger lion with a bigger roar than the lion that showed up here.
Oh well. A lion is a lion when it comes to March. So, I will stand by the idiom and expect March to leave like a lamb. Those are the rules, you know. And I expect the weather to play accordingly.
In January, I consulted the Farmers Almanac to see what the weather would be like for February. It was pretty accurate—heavy snow early on, a break in the middle of the month followed by more snow, then rain.
The March outlook from the Almanac should have everyone running for sump pumps, possibly canoes and at the very least, a stockpile of dry livestock bedding. It could be a wet month. Rain and warmer than normal turning to rain, snow and cold followed by mild temps with rain, more rain and cool, ending the month on a rainy, snowy and cold note. The end of the month doesn't sound very lamb like, but I am still hoping for the best.
Feathered wanderers have been happily singing for more than a week. There are always a few early Robins, but this year Red-winged Blackbirds were right behind followed closely by Killdeer. I don't recall Killdeer ever showing up this early, or the Red-winged either, for that matter. And I am sure they are the outliers, the adventurers, the explorers who had to be here first, blazing the trail for the others to follow. They went out on a limb to be the first to show up. (Reminds me of people who have to be the first ones in the field, even if field conditions are far from correct.) Still, I've enjoyed their cheerful sound for several days. Poor rascals are about to be blindsided, but they seem to survive.
The courage of these feathered friends has given me the courage to go out on a limb, too. I predict spring weather will settle in a little early this year. And I'm not just saying that because I'm ready to shed the winter coat. The early birds are giving me hope that what I wish for will come true, at least in terms of the weather forecast.
In the meantime, tap some trees if that is what you do in March. If not, buy and enjoy some syrup from someone who does. "Weather" or not, it is March and before you know it, everything from grass to trees will be blooming once again.
Bev Berens is a mom to 4-H and FFA members in Michigan. Do you have a story to share? Email her at uphillfarm494@yahoo.com.
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