If we Spring ahead and Fall back, what do we do when we change the clocks in Winter? Look for our shadows to see if it is over yet?
Last Friday, I helped time runners at the Blue and Gold track meet at my daughter's school. It is good someone came along with a snow blower and removed that white stuff from the track. Of course, if they had left it, maybe it would have melted anyway and it would not have left so many puddles behind on the field. I do not have any pictures of her jumping, because she was too far away for me to see. I also forgot to take my real camera, so I took this picture with the thing that lives in my pocket instead.
This morning, I visited the local WalMart to hunt for groceries. It seems that whoever took all the fun out of building a gingerbread house from graham crackers or doing your own baking was disappointed with the take in December, and needed some more funds. Is there any holiday that cannot be commercialized? I left this one on the shelf.
The ladies in the blue vests were stressing over where to put the green cupcakes for Saint Patricks Day. What ignoramus was responsible for scheduling that so close to Easter? How are we ever going to get them all out? The bakery is making even more for Easter, even as we try to get these all out. I left those all there too.
Today was the first Bloomsday Training Club at my son's school. They encourage parents to participate, since the kids cannot do the Bloomsday race without them. I am a walker, my boy is a runner. I took the end of the line of the walkers, and I wound up with twin boys, who both told me that they should be in second grade, but they were in first grade. They both looked (and walked) like they need to spend less time inside and more time outside. We went about a half mile (maybe) and they barely made it back to school. Practices are Mondays and Fridays, with a note that Fridays are optional. The boys said they would not be there on Friday, so maybe I can walk faster. It is good I take my Shadow for lots of walks, so I am in shape no matter what happens at school. I hope for the sake of those boys that they are encouraged to lead a more active life. For the record, my boy kept up with the teacher who was leading the runners. He has a long wait until I returned.
It warmed up today, all the way to 50. I washed all three cars this afternoon, so now they are shiny for the next five minutes. Mine will be clean all night, because it is in the garage. The other two had places to go, so they are off to collect more road grime. As the snow melts, there is still plenty of stuff to splash on shiny cars.
They competed for speed in a college bowl type of competition. All the while, it was snowing outside. Not just little flakes like one might exect the night Spring Break starts, at least a week into spring. These were the big fluffy white ones that land and stick to things and make driving interesting. These were the kind of flakes that show up in pictures taken through classroom windows. 
When the competition was over, they handed out trophies and such. My son brought home the prize for the highest scoring individual from his school.
After it was all over, we walked out to the car. When I take the boy skiing, I expect to find white fluffies all over my car. It is part of the experience. When I take him to math competitions, I guess I should expect to find pi all over my car. I found white fluffies instead. Notice the shiny aluminum wheels? That means I took the snow tires off the car already.
When we arrived home, my Shadow insisted on a walk. Whatever the weather, she wants to go out and take me with her. 
I ended up wearing a few flakes as well.
This morning we went on our usual tour of the neighborhood. Never mind that the white stuff is piling up deep, there are birds to watch and squirrels to chase and other dogs out there to smell. We need to go out and play, now. So we went.
We saw drifting snow by the park. I guess they promised a little wind today too. It seems to have slipped between the cement barriers at the edge of the unused parking lot.
Then the sun came out and started to melt a few flakes away. Here's hoping your weather is at least as interesting as ours.
If any of you lived close enough, I could share the fun with you. For my brother in the east, the stuff looks and smells a lot like the sourdough starter you have in the back of your fridge. Of course, compared to 
I think I put too much cinnamon sugar on top. It should still taste good, even if it looks funny.
My daughter selected high jump this year. This afternoon (you know it is afternoon, because the snow has melted) I watched her jump at a meet. 
She made several successful attempts. It always feels good to make it over the bar a few times.
You can tell that it is not a warm day by the plethora of garments one wears under the track uniform, which for some odd reason consists of a skimpy sleeveless top and shorts. I think my daughter would be out there in her snow suit and still shiver if she could.
I love to see the bar still there when she lands in the pit. Today she made it over 4", which is her personal best.
It is only the second day of spring, so who needs warm weather yet? Now the sun is out, and it has all melted away, except for the piles left from real winter, that would be the one we had in January when they closed school for a week when they could not find the snow plows. 
My sister called, because she is coming to visit Saturday night. She wanted to know what the weather will be. We discussed what each of us had experienced so far today. We decided that the weather would be unsettled and she should bring all her warm and cold clothes.
My Shadow is sticking to her fur coat with snowflakes on it.
We took the mower in for a spring tune up and sharpening. I have filled a 35 gallon can with pine cones which gathered in the yard over the winter. Bloomsday is coming soon. Where does the time go? I guess some of it still goes skiing, which the kids will be doing until the end of the month. 
Track has started at the high school. At the elementary school, they wait until the Bloomsday Training Club is done, and sensibly start at the beginning of May. The school district has decided what to do about that extra week of vacation in May. 
They have taken away our Good Friday holiday and added three days at the end of school in June. I have yet to hear if the finals schedule has been amended to reflect the new last day of school. 
If the high school kids have finals before those last three days, the teachers will be spending ceremonial time in the classroom facing very few students. My children, for example will be off visiting their cousins to celebrate a graduation or two and watch a dance recital. (I hear someone will be moving up to middle school, as well as the one going off to the big world of adulthood.)
Last night we dipped into the twenties again, just to remind us that it is still winter for two more weeks.