In like a lion--out like a lamb. Maybe.

Since Tuesday is the first day of spring, I guess today was showcase of everything "Old Man Winter" wants us to remember as he slips away for another year. The morning began with sheets of rain, filling the the rain gauge to 1/4 inch before noon. Then like a curtain was drawn back, the sun was out in all its brilliance and the sky was that deep, crystalline blue that only fortunate mountain dwellers ever get to see. Lined up in front of it were snow dusted mountains gleaming and sparkling. But then as one's gaze travelled down the river gorge, the sky darkened and where mountains should have been was nothing but a wall of pewter-colored clouds, dark and ominous. Out of nowhere, it would begin to snow and then hail and then the wind would blow so hard that the snow and hail were horizontal like a TV picture from the old antenna days. Branches from old oak trees and loose Spanish moss sailed on that pelting, white wave, while tall fir trees, creaking and moaning, bent sideways giving in to its power. It was awesome!

Up on the hill the horses were running and bucking, rearing and throwing their heads in the air. Jupiter pawed the ground and threw himself down and rolled on the four-wheeler trail--all four legs straight up in the air, kicking and running like his feet could take him on the wind. Indy ran around trying stir everyone up because he was nervous. Even Star moved from one hay pile to another. No one was able to just eat dinner calmly.

To be safe, we headed down the hill with the dogs in hot pursuit. As we neared the gate we could see and hear it coming. We dropped Shirley off at her house and proceeded to make a run for the barn. Two 50 something-year-old women, whooping and hollering through the pelting blizzard! If Dorothy and Toto and the house from Kansas had flown by, I would not have been surprised at all. Haylee was almost completely white on one side when we got to the barn and with both of us laughing in amazement and nervous excitement at the crazy change in weather, she got the puppy crazies and went wild, too--racing around the hay and in and out of the wind and snow. It was the best fun!

I love winter because of its unpredictability. This year, March hasn't been much of  the lion it can be, so I'm okay with one more wild storm! Afterward, I guess spring can come in like a lamb.