After an unusually dry February, we've had a few small showers this last week, putting a little water in the fish pond and filling the bird bath in the front yard. Our japonica bush is blossoming and forsythia, Bradford pears and tulip trees in the neighborhood are bursting with blooms. Most of the daffodils have finished their display, but the pink hyacinths beside the cellar are taking over the show. Pastures and yards are beginning to show a tinge of green, responding to the warm days and light rain, and already we are hearing a few lawnmowers in the area.
According to the weather forecasters back on Groundhog Day, we're in for an early spring but, as many have noted, we've seen some of our roughest weather in March. With a couple more weeks left in the month, don't give up on having some winter days yet. Although our weather patterns seem to have changed somewhat in recent years, farmers and others whose livelihoods depend on the weather still look closely to the rhythms of the seasons. And one old weather proverb says that when March has April weather, April will have March weather, so just keep that in mind.
Jim and I drove to Bella Vista on the first day of March so he could take some measurements for an estimate on a room addition. A couple of days later he loaded the pickup with some scrap aluminum and my bags of aluminum cans and we made a trip to the recycling center. The materials we sold didn't net us much cash but it was worth something to clean up the yard a bit and free some space in the cellar. We stopped on the return trip to visit with friends and play a couple of games of pool.
Sister Nancy and her husband dropped by for a short visit the next Sunday. They were on their way to visit Marlin's mother at the rest home. They brought a dozen hen eggs and a carton of their quail eggs, along with jars of pickled okra, pickled banana peppers and green tomato pickles, so we're pretty well supplied with condiments for a while. It's nice to have a source for those good brown eggs and treats from the garden.
When you have plenty of eggs on hand, you might want to try this new way to make an omelet for your breakfast guests, courtesy of the 2008 Old Farmers Almanac. Set out bowls of cubed ham, bacon bits, cheese cubes, sliced mushrooms, diced onion or sliced green onions, frozen hash browns and salsa. Give each person a quart-size zip-top freezer bag and a magic marker to write their name on it. Then crack two large or extra-large eggs into each bag and shake them to scramble the eggs. Have each one add the ingredients of their choice, squeeze the air out of the bags and zip them up. Place the bags in rolling boiling water for 15 minutes and when you open each bag a perfect omelet will slip right out.
I drove to Southwest City last Tuesday to attend a meeting and do a little grocery shopping. When I left the meeting place, thunder was rumbling and a few drops were falling. By the time I exited the grocery store, a regular downpour had begun so I drove home in the rain. I stopped to visit a friend between Southwest City and Noel but she wasn't home. I left her a mystery I'd read and a bag of candy and came on home. Hopefully, we'll get to visit next time I'm up that way.
Mid-March brings out all those who want to celebrate their Irish heritage. Eureka Springs held a St. Patrick's Day parade last Saturday which drew visitors from throughout the state, and other area events provide opportunities for the "wearin' of the green." Here in Gravette, you can celebrate tomorrow and benefit a good cause by attending the baked potato fest at the Gravette museum annex. A baked potato with all the trimmings, cookie and a drink can be purchased for $5, providing a filling lunch and a worthwhile donation.
Susan Holland is a long-time resident of Benton County and a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 03/16/2016