Cold snow is a-blowin'...
Sunday, March 19, 2006

Here in Nebraska it's been one of the mildest winters on record, and now, 16 hours away from the advent of Spring, we're having a blizzard!

It's Sunday morning, and Gail and I are sitting in the living room with the fireplace going sipping coffee and watching a million tiny tufts of cotton lazily swirling in the air as they make their journey from the clouds to the earth.

We're supposed to get 4"-8" by tomorrow. Just a few miles west of here they're anticipating over 12", and a little southwest, along the NE/KS line, they're predicting over 2 feet! That's a lot for Nebraska, especially this late in the season. But while we're shaking our heads over the spring/snow contradiction, we're grateful. Snow is vitally important to crop-growers (a huge part of NE/KS economy) and we've had far too little of it this season.

For now however, science take a backseat to wonder. Our 6-inch tulips are buried in white, but they'll survive, and soon they'll be celebrating in full vernal regalia. It's beautiful, we're warm, life is good.

I'm reminded (funny how often experiences become identified with songs in my mind) of an old Jonathan Edwards song:

"fasten up your boostrap, Mama,
Pull your wool hat down
for the sky is shining white, my love,
to cover all the ground"