The month of March “comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”,
according to an old saying. *
Judging by
the last few days of February and the weather forecast around here for the rest of this
week, the lion part of the saying rings true,
especially when compared to the relatively wimpy January and February we’ve had
so far. At least for us in Vermont, the last week of February has been more wintry than the rest of the winter (see pictures below). As I write this on Monday afternoon, those of you in Connecticut and Massachusetts are under a winter storm warning. (LINK to the Boston Globe predictions)
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| Weather Channel Map as of 3 PM Monday 2/27 |
By the time you read this, you'll be able to verify the accuracy of the forecast maps, as well as the veracity of the "in like a lion" theory.
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Three years ago around this time, we couldn't have predicted the "storm" that would hit us in just a matter of days – one whose aftereffects are still impacting our lives. Reports of a spreading
virus in distant China were reaching us by the end of February, but things went on more or less as normal for several more weeks.
We all have our stories of how it all unfolded in our personal lives. For John and me and six of our close friends, the direct impact was that it thwarted a week's ski vacation at Big Sky in Montana - although the turn of events was a little more complicated.
We were scheduled to fly out of Bradley on Friday the 13th. The plans for Saturday were to do a winter tour of Yellowstone National Park (on my bucket list!). Just hours before we were to leave for Connecticut, I slipped on a sheet of ice and broke my wrist. John and I had to cancel while the rest of our little group flew out as planned. We spent that Saturday feeling somewhat sorry for ourselves as our would-be travel companions expressed their condolences and provided us with a vicarious experience by texting pictures of glorious Yellowstone throughout the day.
Sunday the 15th arrived, and with it, some more “wish
you were here” postings and pictures from our friends. Those came to an abrupt end
when the announcement came that Big Sky – along with many other facilities
around the country – were shutting down due to the pandemic. (For a timeline, see: https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html
). Our friends had to scramble to find flights back home, competing with the multitudes around the country that were trying to do the same. Fortunately, the six of them made it back by Monday night - weary, but hey, they had some great winter pictures of Yellowstone (which remains on my bucket list!).
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| Saturday, 3/14/20: While our friends were touring Yellowstone, John and I were back home and took a trip to the grocery store. Signs of the times during those early pandemic days- long lines, no masks, no social distancing, and no toilet paper left in the store! |
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I'll end here with some pictures of winter's return here in Randolph Vermont these last few days of February. I know that those of you that have emigrated to Florida and other points South can't quite relate to our love of this climate!
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| Randolph's "Whale Dance": CLICK here for more |
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* The origin of the "Lion and Lamb" saying may have had
more to do with the position of the constellations this time of year than it had to do with weather: (www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/weather/weather-proverb-march-lion-lamb/index.html)
