“The unpredictability of March weather intrigues us,” writer Jo Northrop noted in a column a decade ago. The month, which arouses our willingness to take a chance, is best lived one day at a time, she says.

The gardener brings home flats of tender seedlings and sets them out, only to have temperatures drop and kill them many times. Knowing this, my sister and brother-in-law planted potatoes in mid-March but held off on putting out their more delicate plants. On days when the weather is uncertain, gardeners can dig compost into their garden plots or clear the yard of fallen limbs rather than plant too soon.

We experienced some of that unpredictable weather as I enjoyed a cookout with friends on Beaty Road the first day of spring. The day was sunny and our hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks were cooked outdoors on the grill, but we moved indoors to eat because of the brisk wind. One of the guests arrived with her son, who was visiting from Illinois, and we enjoyed a lively visit and a delicious picnic-style meal topped off with chocolate muffins for dessert. Temperatures dropped and we had snow flurries the next day and again on the weekend. The unpleasant weather wasn’t much appreciated by the youngsters home on spring break.

The next Saturday, I baked two loaves of pumpkin bread, filling the kitchen with a pleasant, spicy scent. I shared one loaf with sister Nancy and her husband when she dropped by that evening. I also made some chipotle chile dip, a good snack with chips while we watched the NCAA basketball games. A few days later, I pulled out Nancy’s recipe for marinated carrots. I bought a crisp green pepper, chopped it and an onion and added two cans of sliced carrots. Then I heated the sauce made from vinegar and oil, sugar and tomato soup before pouring it over the vegetables to make a tasty dish.

Jim mowed the lawn last Wednesday for the first time this year and the place looks much nicer. The grass and that pesky purple henbit were growing pretty tall. Our visiting birds seem to appreciate the shorter grass too as they hop about among the clippings. Warmer weather the next few days prompted me to join the ranks of the eager gardeners. I pulled some weeds and grass from the flowerbeds and one of the raised tomato beds, uncovered some emerging peonies and moved a hanging basket from the back porch to the shepherd’s hook south of the house. The musky smell of the damp earth clung to my fingers as I carried an armful of limbs to the brushpile, urging me to return to the gardening beds soon.

Last Thursday, Janelle, our Decatur reporter, and I sorted through the pages of 2012 issues of the Westside Eagle Observer. We were searching for outstanding stories, columns and pictures to enter in the annual Arkansas Press Association contest. We put in several hours, pausing only for a delicious lunch at the senior center before returning to work. We selected 44 entries and hopefully our efforts will result in some winners for this area publication. That evening I attended the city council meeting so it was a long day.

“A multitude of delights constitutes happiness,” said Charles Baudelaire. And early April in our area certainly offers many delights. We’re looking forward to the farmers’ market opening this Saturday and I’ll be among the exhibitors at the “My Collection” displays at the Gravette Historical Museum that day. Then, the following weekend, our quilt class plans to attend the Tomorrow’s Heirlooms XIV Quilt Show at the Benton County Fairgrounds. This event, where more than 250 quilts will be displayed, rated a mention in the “Happenings in Your Area” column in this month’s Southern Living magazine.

Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong Benton County resident. Contact her at sholland@ nwaonline.com.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 04/03/2013