Brave Tulip - Missoula, Montana

My wish for more March snow has been granted - hurrah! Such keen delight to see full-on fluffy stuff blizzarding sideways past our office windows. Of course, being that we live under Montana's mercurial sky, another glance not much later displayed a serene blanket of snow. And later still, the snowing and blowing up bushels of fun had recommenced! And the tulips soldier on toward eventual blooming.

Brave Crocus - Missoula, Montana

"Fair-handed Spring unbosoms every Grace; throws out the Snowdrop and the Crocus first." - from Spring Flowers by James Thomson (1700-1748)

More Like March - Missoula, Montana

Aah... snow-dusted mountaintops and early morning roadways (not shown here), brisk winds quickening your step, precipitation shifting any given moment between sleet and snow and rain - THIS is more like what March in Montana ought to look like! And also the reason why studded snow tyres are allowed right through until the end of May.

Snow-Capped - Missoula, Montana

Same view as yesterday, but snow-capped overnight - hooray! 
Stopping at the grocery store on my way home from work, I spotted a young-ish fellow sporting long basketball shorts and flip-flops with a bulky pullover  hoodie (flashback: remember when we called them thongs and kangaroo jackets?!), despite the biting wind and just-freezing temperature. These are not uncommon  Montana wardrobe options for this time of year. But today, he best layer up his toes and beware the ides of March!

Lingering Ice - Clark Fork River, Missoula, Montana

The ice you see along the riverbank is not from my 'I wish it were still visibly winter' photo stash; this was one beautiful view yesterday during my stroll beside the Clark Fork River. The outside temperature, per my car, registered 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Egad! As you can see, mountaintops are bereft of snow. BUT, on my weather app, a little digital snowflake marks every hour of today. So, I have expectation. We will see what remains to be seen.

Speaking of seeing, check out basic eye clinic stats in yesterday's update post  at JourneysWithGod.com .)

Tulip Promise - Missoula, Montana

"This I saw on an April day:
Warm rain spilt from a sun-lined cloud...
A flash of blue in a cool moss bank,
And tips of tulips promising flowers
To a blue-winged loon."
-  James Hearst (1900-1983)

(Sorry - bursting tulips won't wait for me to hold this poem for an April post!)

Technically Winter Still - Clark Fork River, Missoula, Montana

I have to confess: I've been posting mostly snowy photos the past couple of weeks not because it's been visible winter out my windows, but because I just want to see more snow. 

Slightly odd, I know, when spring fever rages rampant all around me. 

Perhaps it's because amidst roasting a little bit in Sri Lanka I thought in hope of the cool, quiet winter wonderland I'd flown away from. (Or perhaps the unaccustomed mid-winter heat addled my noodle a bit?! Newly fledging snowbirds, be warned - this could happen to you!) 

Self-depracatory kidding aside, the real reason I crave snow in March is simply that it's too early to be the current 50-plus degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime and We Really NEED More Snow! I love spring as much as the next digger-in-the-garden-dirt, but I do have a small horror of summer wildfires that bleed visible, headache-inducing smoke into every valley's nook and cranny. We need more snow now as a preventative measure. 

The forecast keeps promising the white fluffy stuff a couple days from the ever-shifting today, but so far it's been paltry and high up in the mountains. But Monday could be the day of truth-in-advertising - here's hoping! In the meantime, I'll have to unzip my lightweight hoodie for the second lap around the block.

Soft, Wild - Missoula, Montana

"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place."-Iain Thomas

The travelers are home (viva Las Vegas!) at last! Take a browse of their thoughts of the beautiful place of Sri Lanka at JourneysWithGod.com .