Easter came a bit earlier this year, but Spring certainly has not followed suit. On Friday, the kids had yet another “snow day,” giving them a three-day weekend. Thankfully, the temperatures on Saturday and Sunday were more “Spring-like,” which surely resulted in several outdoor adventures for people.
The Easter Bunny completed yet another successful visit to our house, as a bundle of colorful eggs were creatively hidden around the house. The reactions of our children have tempered greatly from past years. Our 12-year-old actually had to be awoken Sunday morning by her 9-year-old sister because she grew tired of waiting.
The hunt for eggs, something that once was a mad dash down the stairs, pushing, shoving and screaming all the way, has evolved into a much more subdued pursuit for goodies. Apparently, the allure of candy is not as enticing to our oldest as it once was.
This worked out great for our youngest, who also found all the “special” eggs filled with money and also had a decidedly larger bowl of candy afterward.
After the hunt, it was time for church to celebrate the true meaning of the holiday, before heading to my father’s place for Easter dinner. Many of the churches in the area were filled to near capacity for Sunday services, which is refreshing to see.
The warmer weather Saturday and Sunday did a nice job of melting much of the ice that coated the Shiretown Friday. Unfortunately, additional snow may be on the way Tuesday as another storm is expected, despite the fact that we are technically in Spring.
Snow days don’t seem to hold the same magical allure to my wife and kids in March as they do in December. It is probably because the realization has now started to sink in for them that every day they miss school, is another day added on to the end of the school year in June, when the weather is warm and you truly want to be outside.
Remembering back to October and November last year, all of the reports were saying this past winter was going to be as bad as last year in terms of snow totals. Boy, was that one off the mark. Sometimes the Farmer’s Almanac nails a prediction, while other times it misses terribly.
This year, I am OK with that miss if it means we can get the barbecue out sooner rather than later. For me, I have reached the “I’m done with winter” point in my mind and am ready to fire up the grill, swap out the clothes and begin the arduous task of spring yard work. Who is with me?
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper. He can be reached at jcyr@pioneertimes-me.com or 532-2281.