We are almost in April! Winter is reluctant to release its hold on us, but we had some actual springlike weather last week and more to come this week if the weather forecasters are correct (and I hope they are). The temperature rose into the high 40's on several days. This morning we woke up to a nasty crust of new snow and ice, but in a day or two we’re supposed to almost hit 60° and it should all go away. There are just a few patches of deep snow left where the highest drifts were. The ice field off the front porch is almost gone. I spent an hour raking out the flower beds on Friday when the weather was nice. There are crocuses, daffodils, and tulips pushing up through the ground now.
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| Crocuses struggling with the snow. |
I’ve decided to declare my optimism for the return of spring. I put my heavy winter coat away last week and took out my lighter spring jacket. I’m determined that, no matter how cold it gets now, I will not put on that winter coat again until November. I also plan to shave off my winter beard this week. Maybe if Old Man Winter will sees how serious I am, he’ll give in and go away. Or maybe I’ll just be cold until June.
When we are in the high 50's later this week I plan to open the beehive and take a look. I’m afraid of what I will find. There doesn’t seem to be any activity – no sound from inside the hive, and no evidence of cleansing flights or any housecleaning. I hope I’m wrong, but I think our extremely cold and windy winter might have killed my colony. If so, it was fortuitous of me to order new bees this year.
Last Wednesday evening our high school held its 7th Annual Dessert Theater. It’s a fund raiser for our music department and one of the big events for us – and every year it seems to get bigger. I think there were about 400 people there this year. Tables were set up in the old gym and during the course of the program, the students performed musical numbers. During the intermission, they served the audience desserts that were donated. We’ve been involved with the Dessert Theater every year since it started. This year it was excellent. We donated two bundt cakes for the dessert portion, Stacey helped in the kitchen with the desserts, and Hannah and Josiah were heavily involved in the musical portion. They both sang with the Select Choir. Josiah performed with Senior High Percussion Ensemble. Hannah performed with the Guitar Ensemble. Josiah performed with the Jazz Band. But the best part for me was their solo numbers. Josiah sang a solo, “Stars” from Les Miserables. He did such a good job and he held the final note out so long I thought he would pass out. Hannah sang the old Harold Arlen song “Down With Love.” I was amazed at how strong, clear, and jazzy her voice was. I don’t know where my children get their courage to perform in front an audience. We so proud of them.
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| The Select Choir. |
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| Hannah with the Guitar Ensemble. |
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| Josiah singing his solo. |
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| Hannah singing her solo. |
One day last week I took my camera with me to school and the gym teacher, who is also a professional photographer, gave me some instruction on how to use my telephoto lens. When I got home from school that day, I took a walk with my camera down past the beaver pond. I’ve seen wood ducks there all week and I wanted to try my newly learned photo techniques on them. They flew away as soon as I crossed the road and the only photos I got were of them flying away. I also scared a great blue heron that flew off along the woods. I’m determined to master photographing birds, so I will keep on trying.
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| Wood ducks and teals in flight. |
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| Great blue heron. |
Kurt and Julie have returned from their adventure abroad. They’ve been gone for three weeks on a trip that took them to South Africa via Zurich, Switzerland, on the way there and London, England, on the way back. Julie’s cousins have been living in Africa serving the church there. Their time there is almost over and they invited Kurt and Julie to visit before they returned to the United States. Kurt and Julie arrived home in the wee hours of Friday morning. We had them over for dinner that night and got to hear all about the things and saw and did. Then we went over to their house to see the photos they took. It was amazing to see them with elephants, antelopes, zebras, lions, rhinoceroses, giraffes, all kinds of birds, monkeys, and exotic flora. It was like they were in one of the nature documentaries we love to watch. They had a great time and we are glad they’re home again.
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| Kurt and Julie in Africa. |
Today in Sunday School I got to teach one of favorite lessons in the entire Old Testament – the beginning of Exodus, the early life of Moses, the plagues on Egypt, and the Passover. I took some of our Passover paraphernalia to display – our Seder plate, and Elijah cup. I would have loved to have taken some Passover food for my class to sample– matzah, haroset, and horseradish – but today was Fast Sunday and everyone was fasting. The lesson went well. Now we’re home and waiting to break our fast. We’re having lasagna and garlic bread and it smells so good. Later this evening we will go over to Shillig’s house for our first Sabbath Soiree in a long time. And then the rest of the week lies ahead of us.
