Spring or Sheila?

It's officially Spring if you go by your calendar, but Newfoundlanders don't really expect Spring to arrive and then stick around until late May.

Last year around this time I was complaining about how mild of a winter we'd had so far. I wanted to experience a legendary Newfoundland winter, and I was begging for Sheila to show me her stuff (you'll just have to click the link if you want to know who Sheila is). Sheila did, in fact, deliver the goods on March 22nd, and I was pleased. The winter remained mild by Newfoundland standards, but we saw an impressive amount of snow by Texan standards by the time May rolled around.

I just knew we were in for it this winter. There was no way we'd have two mild winters in a row. We're in freaking Newfoundland. You know, that place on your map just southwest of Greenland.

But I sit here today contemplating my snowfall log with a total of almost 40 inches less snow than the same time last year, and I'm bewildered. What is going on? We've had cold, and we've had rain, but where is the snow? The forecast for tomorrow has a little snow predicted, but I don't see Sheila anywhere. Shouldn't she be lurking right about now?

The difference this year is that I am not complaining. I was complaining around Christmas that I wished there was more snow. I was complaining in February that I wished there was more snow. But now that it's March, and the snow has melted, and we were teased with some quite lovely sunshine last week, I am ready for Spring. I am ready for warm temperatures and playgrounds and banishing the kids to the backyard. I am ready to put the snow boots and suits in the back of the closet.

But I am not crossing my fingers. I'm sure I just jinxed myself, and tomorrow I'll check out the Weather Network to find that a storm has popped up out of nowhere and will be stranding my parents in Toronto on Friday. Just wait. Because that's the kind of luck I have.