What season is it?

May 22: The Long Weekend. We’ve been waiting for this for months. No, not for the reason many city people eagerly await the May long weekend. We had no intention of joining the rush to the campgrounds. What we on the farms and ranchers eagerly awaited was the almost-guaranteed wet weather that so often lands on this weekend. And we were not disappointed. The entire weekend here has been cold, wet, and sometimes snowy. But the moisture is a life-saver for our pastures and hay. It has been such an unusual, warm dry winter that it sometimes seemed like spring was a long time coming-until we reminded ourselves that it was still only March. What little snow we had disappeared early with no trace of spring run-off. The creeks started the spring low and only became lower. May temperatures were higher than we usually see in August and rain clouds came and went without losing a drop. Then came Fort McMurray, a shock to the whole province-and a reminder to me that my yard, bordered on three sides by thick forest, was also vulnerable. More than once I lay awake formulating a plan for loading the cats, dogs, and me into the motor home and “getting out of Dodge.” However, thank God, we dodged that bullet, for now, anyway. Spring moves on with all its work and pleasures. The apple and cherry trees bloomed beautifully in the hot weather. It now remains to be seen if the snow and frost has killed the unformed fruit. The garden went in early and the hardy vegetables that have sprouted should be okay. The trees are alive with birdsong, often beginning before daylight and I was so pleased to see a little bird take off carrying one of Apache dog’s many tufts of shed winter fur. Someone had a warm nest for the cold weekend! The brash little yellow-bellied sapsucker begins every day with a loud drum roll pounded out on the old TV antenna. Loud town meetings are held by the flock of geese frequenting the beaver dam across the road. The calves, a bit slow in coming this year, are healthy and happy, so far. In short, all is pretty much well in my little corner of the world. Hope it is in yours, too.