First day of Spring

This morning at 7:46 am marked the official start of spring.  And with the very mild weather we've been having for the last month it felt well over due.  Flowers are popping up all over town, spring birds who we haven't seen for months are back, making new homes, and there is just a general feeling of spring-jackets flung off, car windows open, joggers and cyclists out and about, children playing on bikes in yards.

So imagine our surprise this morning when little snow flakes started to fall.  And it was 2C, so it seemed a very unlikely thing.

At first it was just a few here and there, all melting on impact, but lovely none the less.  Then it got heavier and heavier until the sky was filled with flakes and the ground started to turn white.  I took a number of photos throughout the morning (but unfortunately with a new computer, I can't work out how to put them in sequential order)...

Lilly was surprised by the snow

Because the trees all have buds, it looks so different when the snow covers their branches 
Honey was beside herself with excitement-the dog loves snow.  Here she is finding something to eat under the bush-I won't tell you what it is because it is really disgusting.
Snow everywhere-took this photo less than 1/2 an hour ago and already most of it has melted.
This was when it was coming down hard and only just starting to settle.

A cute little Ella at the bus stop this morning-there were flakes falling, but you  can't really see them.

And proof that despite Winter's last ditch exertion spring really has begun-bulbs (and I didn't plant any last autumn) starting to come up.  And while I can still see a few flakes falling here and there, I suspect that that's it.

Spring-ish

We did get the snow storm on Monday, with a snow day- but only about 7 or so inches of snow. I didn't take any photos out in the snow because it was really cold and windy and not so pleasant. Then kids got out there and had fun though. And I'm glad they did as we've had such mild weather since then. These photos were taken on Friday...first signs of spring; bulbs starting to grow... Melting snow...And by Saturday, this is how much was left...
A gorgeous weekend. Sun and temps nearing 20C. The kids were out on their bikes, Matt and Oscar got sunburned playing rugby. I had thought we'd have a big weekend tidying and cleaning, but how can you be inside with weather like that. Especially when the next few days are supposed to be rainy and cold.Ella's not cold in this photo-she's scared of getting down.And this was the last pile of snow to melt (it's all gone now), with the shovel from where Ella was trying to make an igloo on Monday.

And while I was down loading these photos I came across this cracker-my brown eyed children eating apple skins...Oh and I have to do an update on the parlour games....each night I've taught the kids a new game-wink murder, smiles, I Love my love with an A...each and everyone a hit. Now they ask what game we're going to play tonight. Who'da thunk?

And I'll leave you with some of my pottery that I picked up on Friday. A gravy boat which I think looks like a bull-I kind of eccentuated this once I realised that it did...didn't go so far as putting horns on it, but I was tempted. So I give you the "El torro gravy boat".

And my casserole dish. Everyone made fun of me when I made this because it was "so huge", but with clay shrinkage, Matt (who's just made dinner in it) said "I don't think it's big enough".
Right, being called to dinner...