How goes your day?
The chilly weather looks like it will last a bit longer and then by the end of the month, we should return to more normal temperatures. Mid-April thermometers should show readings in the mid-sixties; however, the next week will see temperatures from the upper 40s to low 60s for afternoon highs. As I write this, winter is making a bit of a return as snow fell across much of Southwestern Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening; and Wednesday, we awoke to a winter wonderland here in the mountains east of Uniontown.
Unfortunately with the snow came the cold and a low of 24 was recorded at Chalk Hill. This will take its toll on much of the early spring growth, which had been doing so well this spring due to ample rainfall and cool, but not cold, temperatures. Most plants can handle temperatures around, and even a little below, freezing for a short period of time, but when you have readings in the mid-20s and lasting for several hours, lots of damage usually occurs.
When this cold snap subsides and the milder weather returns so too will spring and once again the beauty of the flowers and shrubs will become evident. We can then get back to our yard, gardens and outside projects. At least the cold snap came late and we did get to enjoy a prolonged period of beautiful early spring color in late March and into this past week.
Staying at home has given me a lot of extra time for projects. The old stone patio which had collected a lot of moss and lost its stone color has now been refurbished and is ready for some grilling and outdoor meals. So too with the decks which seem to gather green mold from all the excess of rainfall over the past several years. They look great, and on the milder days, we have lunch outside.
My favorite project this spring has been redoing the gravel paths that wind their way through our property. The stones have been cleaned and reset and are awaiting a load of gravel and mulch to finish this project. The little path leads to an old Adirondack chair that sits alongside a bubbling little stream where I like to rest with a cup of coffee and listen to the sounds of the stream and the woods and reflect a bit on where my life has been. Images of family, friends and places fill my mind with joy and contentment. Everyone needs that little place where they can go to renew their spirit, especially during these troubled times. If you don鈥檛 have a place,now is the time for a little project. It can even be as simple of good placement of a chair looking outside your apartment or home or a little corner all to yourself.
Inside on cold snowy or rainy days, I busy myself with different sorts of projects. I spent two days digging through drawers looking for old coins and memorables that I have held onto over the years. A few Indian head pennies, old quarters and foreign coins brought a smile as I thought about giving them to my children so the grandkids can have a learning experience identifying the images and people on the coins. I even found a bronze medal celebrating a century of weather service that the National Weather Service issued in 1970. The weather service was founded in 1870. I am proud also of my 35-year pin received for my volunteer efforts as the鈥� Mountain Weather Man,鈥� having never missed a day of observations.
If you live in the lower elevations of Fayette County, one of the joys of spring is too see the creep of green begin and continue its journey slowly up the mountain side. The bypass and much of Route 119 clearly show the progress of spring each day. Have a great day.