Will This Winter Ever End??

[dawn_felagund]

This morning, I woke up and there was snow on the ground. Snow! In April! In Maryland! Yes, I know we live in north-north Maryland now but still. Snow in April is ridiculous. Hasn't it ever heard the saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? What the hell kind of lamb is this? A Monty Python killer lamb??

I know I'm not old enough to tell uphill-both-ways stories yet, but I don't ever remember snow in April.

This has been the longest winter that I can recall. It started the first week of November. I remember this well because our Halloween party was on 1 November, and we had a lot of people attending for our small house, so I wished very hard for a day warm and pleasant enough that many of them would want to go outside ... and I got it. 1 November was gorgeous! And, a few days later, temperatures dropped precipitously, and I felt as though I'd paid for that one perfect day. And it stayed cold and miserable, so much that Bobby and I were both expecting a white Thanksgiving. (Which we didn't get because, despite winter hanging around for five months, we had a record low snowfall. Double boo!)

I'm ready for winter to be done and over! I miss baring my arms in public and my legs below the knee! I really needed a long skirt and boots today, but I refuse to wear boots in April. So my legs were cold. Oh flippin' well.

(angelica_ramses, has the miserable summer stuck so adamantly in your part of the world as miserable winter has here? I do hope not!)

On a positive note, it is Bobby's birthday today. The old man is 28. Because we are planning a trip to Ireland this summer, he has refused all birthday gifts from me to save for the trip. We did, however, have an excellent dinner at the Thai restaurant in Westminster. And I'm off for the rest of the week, and Bobby is on Spring Break, so we can stay up together until the small hours of the morning. We're hoping for weather pleasant enough tomorrow to inaugurate the hiking season.

Comments

[lady-roisin.livejournal.com]

I hope winter releases it hold son! My brother is complaining of snow and cold temperatures too.

Happy Birthday to Bobby! He's the same age as me now. I'm glad you two had a wonderful dinner, and I hope you two have an absolutely fabulous time in ireland. Bring back lots of pictures!

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

It snowed here, too, but I'm considerably north of you. We expect the occasional snow in Maine in April. ;)

TS Eliot had it right about April.

Eeeep, 28? Happy birthday to him - and if you've never been to Ireland and need suggestions on where to go, e-mail me. My husband's from Ireland, his mom still lives there. We've been a zillion times. :)

[whitewave16.livejournal.com]

Hope you get warm weather soon. Over here, summer started early (but then it is summer here for 10 months in a year). Your coming summer holiday in Ireland sounds good.

Happy Birthday to Mr. Felagund!

[tarion-anarore.livejournal.com]

We've gotten one blizzard (yes, an actual blizzard complete with school closure for the first time!) and one not-quite-blizzard snowstorm within a week of each other. At this rate, there'll be more snow tomorrow. But today was actually gorgeous. The weather here is bipolar!

Happy birthday to Bobby! And have fun in Ireland! (And if on the off chance I happen to be working there, come visit! ;)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

We've got two Dutch sayings: Maart roert zijn staart and April doet wat hij wil (March wags its tail and April does what he wants). Sounds rather appropiate for Maryland weather don't you think?

Happy birthday Bobby and I hope you guys have good hiking weather!

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

Very happy birthday to Bobby! And all the best vibes of the spring that's here your way :D

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

April giveth and April taketh away in our neck of the woods in the midsouth/midwest. It really is the cruelest month, giving us 70 degree days and plunging everyone into snow and 20s the next. All it takes is to just *glance* at your summer clothes to invite winter to an unwelcome return. *humph*

[albreda.livejournal.com]

Here in VT, things are pretty normal - snow from Oct into April, with some possible even into the end of May. It has been much colder than usual this last few weeks though - usually it is a *blip* when it snows!

[dawn_felagund]

I'll also be twenty-eight in September as well! (In my own mind, I am twenty-eight already because I change age when my husband does!)

And no worries on the pictures ... when we went to England and Scotland last year, we brought back more than 1,000! o.O

[dawn_felagund]

I will definitely email you! This is our first trip there, so we'd love some info from an insider! :D

I generally think of March as the evol month. April is pretty nice around here ... usually! Of course, I am not used to the part of the state where we're living yet; maybe it is different here. *hopes not* I love Spring too much. :)

[dawn_felagund]

*sigh* I could live with a ten-month summer! I'm miserable in Winter. I sometimes think that I should have been born at the Equator but Bobby had to go and be born on the central east coast of the US first! ;)

[dawn_felagund]

You might be working in Ireland this summer?! We're going at the end of June; we're meeting hrymfaxe too for a weekend. And ford_of_bruinen is in Cork, I think, though I haven't had a chance to talk to her of meeting up ... but now I have this grand vision of all these Silmgeeks meeting at once! Poor Bobby ... ;)

And as long as Maryland continues to claim to be a "southern state," then I find it unseemly to have snow in April. ;)

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

We know more about the southwest and the area around Dublin than anywhere - he grew up in the southwest (right close to the lakes of Killarney and the famed ring of Kerry) and went to University College Dublin for his bachelors'. But it's a gorgeous country. I can probably scrounge up some pics of Kerry and Cork for you!

[dawn_felagund]

The weather today is gorgeous! Maybe my griping worked? (Not! ;)

Our saying here is, "Don't like the weather? Wait fifteen minutes." This is very true. We have gotten a meter of snow one day and, the next, it is 30C and it all melts and schools have to be closed for flooding!

March is said to "come in like a lion and go out like a lamb." That's usually pretty true here ... though the lamb takes its good ol' time arriving, for sure. April is usually pretty pleasant. Maryland weather, I am disappointed in you! (Although if we have more days like today, I will forgive you. ;)

[dawn_felagund]

We'll be spending most of the trip in Dublin, though we're going to do a few days in a yet-unnamed-city-that's-not-Dublin. ;) We're not to worried about deciding on that last since we do not expect that this will be our last trip to Ireland! :D

[dawn_felagund]

I think it worked! It's beautiful here today! :D Thank you. *hugs*

[dawn_felagund]

Oh, I've been known to invite such jinxes too! :D On the first day of spring, I insist on wearing this colorful dress that I only wear between spring and fall, even if it's cold out ... as it was this year. I have this vision of Mother Nature watching me choose my clothing in the morning and then laughing as I stagger around in a skirt that doesn't cover my legs and small shoes for the rest of the day!

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Oooo, one thing off the top of my head - even if neither one of you like beer, do the Guinness brewery tour. It's a self guided tour through a variety of exhibits that finishes in a bar on the top floor of the building. It's only like 8 stories, but there aren't many buildings in Dublin taller than that - and it's ceiling to floor glass all around, so you can either enjoy your complimentary pint or order something else from the bar and have your drink and enjoy the best views of Dublin city imaginable.

Oh, and the GPO (general post office) - it's where the rebel leaders holed up during the 1916 Uprising that eventually led to Irish independence. You can still see bullet holes if you look - and my mother-in-law swears that it's lucky to buy lottery tickets there. ;)

[dawn_felagund]

The Guinness tour is top of the list! :D My husband and I both love Guinness (I don't drink light-colored beer because it tastes weird to me, though my husband was slower in coming into the fold; only once we joined the SCA did he learn to appreciate beers that weren't yellow and American! >:^P). We didn't have the GPO on this list yet, but that definitely sounds like it'd be right up our alley. We're both history buffs!

[dawn_felagund]

I am reminded why I swore I would never move north of the Mason Dixon line! Snow into late May is unacceptable. ;)

I have heard people from all over complaining about how long and cold this winter is. I didn't notice much midway through--I was too busy with schoolwork--but now that I'm done and want to play outside and hike and plant things? Go away, Winter! :)

[albreda.livejournal.com]

And I'll never live south of it! I can always hunker down, and put more layers on, but there is only so much I'm willing to take off when I need to go out in public!

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Kilmainham Jail is where they held the rebel leaders and executed them after the uprising, so you'd probably enjoy that - the Book of Kells at Trinity College would likely be right up your alley, too.

I keep trying to talk my husband into doing a literary pub crawl, too - they have guided tours where they'll take you to famous writers' favorite watering holes, and I've always sort of wanted to see the pubs where Yeats and Joyce (among others) drank and wrote. :)

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

Oooh, so lucky! I loved to travel, back in the day. Enjoy your trip! (I don't have any suggestions though, sorry.) I do sympathise with your weather though [see icon]. :(

[tarion-anarore.livejournal.com]

Possibly! I might be working ANYWHERE. I am a bit torn between wanting to live at home and work (save money for grad school) and going abroad to work. But if I AM in Ireland...well, it certainly would be great to meet! And Bobby doesn't have to worry, we can talk about, um, jousting?

Speaking of, are you still looking at buying a horse? I know times is hard, but if you were, there are quite a few nice horses for sale...Anyway. XD

I agree! Snow in April is unacceptable even to me! (Well, I'll accept it if it means school closures. ;) We never had a proper winter - when I moved back up in January, it was 60-something, and I had to change into a T-shirt. Then cold-warm-cold-warm cycle since...though getting progressively warmer on the "warm" days...Still say you ought to visit me here! We've got nice hiking...;)

[angelica-ramses.livejournal.com]

Yes!!!!! It's been the hottest, longest, most awful summer in everybody's memory! We've been having temperatures above 35º since November with peaks of 40º. The end of March was stiffling (35º with 100% humidity) .April is supposed to be the best month weatherwise, so far it's behaved but on the hot side too. And generally it's been very changeable with kind of tropical thundershowers. Talk about weather change!
On a more pleasant note, Ireland! I've always dreamed of visiting Ireland (plus a lot other places) I eagerly expect your photos and stories.
Happy birthday to Bobby! (what's a bodhran? It sounds hindu.)

[independence1776]

Happy belated birthday to Bobby!

I know what you mean about the weather-- snow flurries were predicted Tuesday, though I didn't see any. Hopefully, the weather will stay stable-- I like the 60s.

Have fun in Ireland! *is a tad jealous*

[a-wayfarer.livejournal.com]

Heyyy! A very Happy Birthday to Bobby! :D *confetteh* I hope you guys had/have a fun hiking time, and that the weather lets up soon!

And, it is so snowing here as well, oh mai. Although, and please don't get angry heheheh, I'm not too fussed to be honest, and people around me keep giving me >:O looks but... *loves winter a bit too much* :3 But I'm sure it'll be gone in a little while-- I'm just waiting for a June blizzard here so I can go "LOL" at everyo- *shot*

However. This brilliant line: What the hell kind of lamb is this? A Monty Python killer lamb?? Oh dear God, this had me cackling. Killer lamb indeed. xD

[dawn_felagund]

Luckily, it seems to have eased a bit--no more snow at least! :D We had a beautiful day for hiking yesterday and are hoping to squeeze in a quick walk today too before it starts raining.

I love traveling! That and books are the only things I like to spend money on. :)

[dawn_felagund]

Oh boo ... I was hoping that you were spared. I have heard complaint from all over N. America that this winter has been especially long and bitter and can never help but wonder how you fare in the south. After the snow, luckily, it did become a bit nicer. Let's hope that it persists ... both here and to the south! :)

Re Ireland: I'm going to take Pengolodh and hope to be able to keep up my travel journal this time, since I won't have to worry about school assignments, as I did in England and Scotland. :) You know I'll bring back at least one thousand photos! :D

A bodhran is a Celtic drum; here is the Wiki article on it. It's probably my favorite drum; it really drives the music and gets in my blood! I hope to learn it one day too, but right now am back to working on my recorders and will soon be starting the fiddle.

[dawn_felagund]

Our weather has been fair the past two days; especially yesterday, we had a great day for hiking. :) I think all the well wishes worked! This winter was so long; I'm ready to be done with it!

I've no doubt that we'll have an awesome time in Ireland. :) I hope to "bring the flist," at least vicariously, by keeping my travel journal up-to-date. I won't be in school, so I should be able to carve out a half-hour a day, I hope! :)

[dawn_felagund]

It's certainly no more ridiculous than a killer rabbit! :D And I often think that whoever dreamt up that saying did not live at the Mason Dixon line or further north. March can be especially vicious here, so I can't imagine what it is to our neighbors to the north! :)

And I don't begrudge you liking winter! I'm glad someone does. :) How miserable would it be if we were all like me and counting the days till the Equinox? I wish I could like winter more, actually; I used to enjoy it when I was a kid and am not sure when it became so painful and miserable for me.

[independence1776]

The winter was long (ice storm, colder than average) but I'm going to miss the cool weather when it's turns fully to summer. (Yes, I'm opposite you.)

I hope you're able to find the time to journal!

[atanwende.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to hear how different your winter was from ours in Germany: We had record snow falls (the first at the beginning of November!), record low temperatures (though beautiful weather through most of January) and it was cold until the end of March and then in April... well, it got really warm all of a sudden so that I had to hectically shave my legs and do my toe-nails so that I wouldn't looks like a hairy monster with claws during the first bouts if spring. ;) Now though, it's rainy. Meh.

And Ireland, wow! Because I need to save money I wasn't planning any vacation for this year, but moving to Austria over the summer will fortunately enable me to visit Vienna, which will be cool, I think. :)

[dawn_felagund]

You're moving to Austria?! Wow! I agree that Vienna will be very cool. :)

Is this a long-term move or just something temporary? (Nosy! :o) )

It is finally warm here. Bobby is outside right now raking up what he calls the "winter salad": all the leaves, sticks, rocks, and bits of firewood that make their ways into the yard over the winter. (With the help of two Golden Retrievers, I should add.) But the winter was bitter and disappointing for snowfall. I'm glad that yours seems to have treated you better, at least in the snowfall department. And ending at a reasonable date.

When I'm in the mood to compare the drastic differences in world weather, I talk to angelica_ramses ... she lives in Argentina, so when we're complaining of the bitter cold, she's complaining of the oppressive heat! :)

I still haven't shaved my legs ... :D

[atanwende.livejournal.com]

Is this a long-term move or just something temporary? (Nosy! :o) )

Haha, you're allowed to be nosy! (I am, too...).

I'm going to work there in a museum connected to a rather big Benedictine abbey for five months (no, I'm not taking vows ;P). After that I will have to find something new since the job is limited to those five months and the museum closes during winter anyway. But who knows, probably one of the contemporary artists working for the museum is going to declare me his personal assistant, buy me an apartment in Vienna and... well, that's most likely not going to happen anyway. ;P

I don't know yet if I'm going to stay in Austria or go back to Germany (or move somewhere else entirely?) after that time. I'll have to see. But I hope bet it's going to be exciting.

Yea, our winter was okay, I guess. There could have been a bit more sunshine in the end but all in all it was quite bearable. Though I could have lived without the experience of getting chilblains... ;) (Just FYI, that was stupid story of me wearing to many socks in my boots so that the air couldn't circulate well enough and... yes. It wasn't really bad, just... stupid.)

Our cats love "helping" in the garden, too, by the way! :-D

And well, I believe you that weather differences between the Northern and Southern hemisphere are "a tad" more drastic than those between continents. ;) But anyway, I always thought it was interesting how different the weather can be in places that are similarly geographically positioned. Like the fact that New York City and Naples are actually positioned at the same parallel but have really different climates (it's probably obvious that I love maps a lot, for what reason ever!).

And there's nothing wrong with not having shaved yet. I actually tend to keep them un-shaved in winter because it keeps my legs warm. :D