They slide back and forth, not based on the calendar at all. Seasons, in Montana as probably everywhere, can’t make up their minds and keep us guessing. We try to be tolerant, knowing how this game is played, but we are OVER WINTER. We were led to believe it was gone. It’s supposed to be spring! Silly us for trusting Mother Nature.

Two weeks ago I took a break and headed to Glacier Park. It was a glorious sunny day. Roads were clear in the Park though lined with icy berms and slippery trails. Coop and I had a hard time finding a place to walk that wasn’t slick or too deep with slush. The scenery was exquisite though, per usual. Spring was definitely teasing us visitors.

The ice on Lake McDonald was melting and leaving pretty ripples and fuzzy ridges as it shifted and shoved against the shoreline.

Back home Flathead Lake was breaking up.  It froze over this year, the first time since 1993.

Flocks of swans are stopping over in the open bay, heading north to nest – to Canada or Alaska? Eagles ate their lunch on the edge of the ice. The last week of March I played tennis three times!  It makes me laugh when I can snow shoe and play tennis in the same week 🙂

Then the rain started. My driveway is clear. The dirty snow in town is almost gone. Gravelly trenches drain away the melt off. The grass is greening up. Yellow daffodils heads hang drowsily before they will finally, in a week or so, look up and brighten the season.

Here’s my woodpile, sans snow.  Since I had to climb up on top of it and dig through snow and cut the tarp six week ago, I now have a mess 🙂

It warmed enough to use the BBQ. I’m kind of a fair weather BBQer and I waited until it reached 45 again before firing it up 😉  Someone gave me a butchered rabbit so on the grill it went. I made it stand up for a few minutes to get its belly well roasted. Nice way to start BBQ season.

Then today it snowed, dropping into the low 30s – are you kidding!!!?? Our patience is wearing thin! I moved potted plants back in the garage and got my boots back out. Mother Nature is laughing, the joke is on us!

There is one predictable certainty, one of few in life, though there is no solace in this – mud season will be next!