Whether the weather

Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.

I remember hearing that tongue twister on a Little Bear episode and it has been running through my head all morning.  It is very appropriate as the weather saga continues but we did get some respite. 
On Saturday, April 5^th we celebrated Grandson B’s first birthday by going to an indoor water park.  It was 39 and windy outside but 82 degrees inside.  The kids, old and young, loved it.   

Wave pools, tube and raft slides that sent you outside the building while it dropped you four floors, 

picture from Split Rock's website

flow rider surfing, hot tubs, a separate area just for the little guys.  It was awesome and definitely buoyed our spirits knowing the temperatures would soon be that warm outside.

And they did warm up.  I was working outside in the garden and greenhouse or since I am redoing door I was taking them outside to sand and stain.  Tomatoes need to be transplanted soon.

This past weekend we made a trip south to the grandkids to build them a swing set.  Only 2 ½ hours from home yet much warmer than us.  Their daffodils were blooming, the grass was close to needing to be cut, the forsythia just starting to bloom.  We came home sunburned and eagerly awaiting the grass to turn green and the first blossoms up here and yesterday I saw one of my daffodils was blooming!

This weekend was also when trout season opened. 

 We have all been out several times but we didn’t catch anything but did carry home some of Spring and Summers nemesis, ticks.  
 
Several nights I left the plants in the unheated greenhouse and we even slept with the windows open…and today we wake to two inches of snow so it’s inside work today like knitting… not like that is work!  I have been ignoring the fiber side and only made two dishcloths recently. 

 I have another reason for that….egg watching.  We hatched our first egg on Sunday.  Now we have ten baby chicks.  I originally put in 20 eggs so our success rate was low but it was a test run.  It was all the dark brown eggs that didn’t hatch so will take that into consideration when picking out eggs next time.  And next time will be  May.

Finally April

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.  There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature— the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
-   Rachel Carson

Our early battle between Winter and Spring is ongoing.  Last week I went to help stock trout and it was 24 degrees with a wind chill factor of 10.  

 They were cutting through 18 inches of ice to continue stocking. 

Monday some places in NEPA got 10 inches of snow.  Thankfully we only got a coating of ice and sleet, just enough to have a two hour school delay. Tuesday I was outside and heard a noise....

some visitors had returned to my pond!

Our lives are in battle too.  The man is splitting firewood but Spring cleaning the barn also.  In the house sometimes I am knitting mittens and other times I am transplanting seedlings. 

Sunday it is suppose to be 60 degrees, the warmest Sunday in 24 weeks says the weatherman.  I have a lot of clean up and fence repair in the garden so I am looking forward to that.  But first we will be celebrating #2 grandson, Baby B's, first birthday.  Why does it seem winter crawled by but this year flew by? 

Now I must go catch up on Game of Thrones so I will be ready for this season.  Have a great weekend.