sunny blue skies and warm spring days...any day now!

Does the barometric pressure really effect your mood? Does the amount of sunlight change how you feel? Is it going to snow on Easter...again? Do I really need to live in Cleveland?

Unfortunately, the answer to all of these questions is, "yes"...

Today? It's a extremely ugly day today in Cleveland, Ohio. It's presently 43 degrees and dropping, with a wind blasting at 23 mph. That brings the temperature down to 35 degrees with the wind chill. There is a wind advisory in effect until 4am. And it doesn't help that it's raining. Not the kind of rain that washes away the gray of winter or makes you want to don rain boots and go out stomping in puddles. This is the kind of misting rain that makes the sky and ground all the same color, that gives you vertigo. The kind of rain that when added with the wind makes it feel like your being pelted...with paring knives.

I suppose it does have some good qualities. Instead of investing in that acid facial peel, I could just stand outside for 10 minutes and get the same sand blasting effects without the hole in my banking account. And it is naturally pressure washing the side of my house with damn good results.

But after the beautiful sunny day in the high 60's yesterday...today's weather is quite the let down. And the weather forecast says it's not going to let up! All through next week we are to be pummeled with rain and cold weather, high winds and we even have the 60 percent chance of SNOW on Monday. Yes, you heard me right...Snow.

Yesterday I started to do some of the spring clean-up yard work. Got some of the never ending leaves left behind by my big 80 year old pin oak tree. Pin oaks hang onto their leaves until the new buds push them off the branches...so it's a never ending barrage of dead falling leaves. This past year the acorns produced by this tree was so bountiful that if entertaining on the deck, I'd have to hand out pithe helmets to the guests so they wouldn't be harmed by the falling acorns. You might end up with one in your drink or salad if you weren't careful.

It felt great being outside without a coat on. I even saw people walking around in shorts. You can always tell the first days of spring in a northern town...people start baring their pale wintered skin early on because we want to shed all the layers we've had to don through the harsh winter months. I even put away all our winter coats, gloves and boots. I packed away the ski, skate and sledding gear for the year. What do we do now? Should I unpack everything? It's April! It's spring! I don't want to wear a winter coat! I don't want to have to wear a muffler or gloves!

They say April comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. We've all sang the song...but to have the teaser of such gorgeous weather and then have it like this? It's just not fair. We've been experiencing these up and down weather roller coasters now for over two months and I want it to stop. We had 3 days in March that was well into the 60's, one day in the 70's! Only to have it drop down to 20's the very next day. On St. Patrick's day it was 68 degrees....a fine day that was. But this is just...crap.

Enough already! I like the changing of the seasons as much as the next guy. But not all in one week! I don't want it to snow now that all the daffodils ready to bloom! The cherry tree has buds on it and the neighbors tree is starting to flower.

A few years ago we had a fluke snowstorm on Easter. We were going to go to my parents house in Toledo for Sunday church and dinner. I called my parents to let them know I might be a tad late in my arrival as the weather was so bad. They thought I was playing an Aprils Fools joke as the weather in their neck of the woods was as perfect as could be. So I took photos to prove it. They were amazed. We pulled up in their driveway with a pile of snow still on the roof of my car...it was 60 there and 30 in Cleveland. Go figure.

I read that the amount of sunlight that enters through your eyes can directly effect your health in a positive fashion. It can raise your spirits and has other healthy side effects like improved digestion and stronger bones. A study said that if you get just 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight per day that your body will get enough natural Vitamin D to help detoxify your body.

And the barometric pressure? All I can tell you is that I've had a sinus headache all day...and yesterday I didn't. I'm crabby, my dogs are crabby...only the fish out in the pond are loving this weather. I'm blaming it all on the weather.

Calgon take me away.....please.

I hope it won't snow this Easter. But it looks like it might. Another Sunday morning with all the little girls in their spring dresses, covered up with heavy sweaters and coats. I actually have a vacation planned at the tail end of the month. Poor planning on my part. I'm sure that as soon as I leave town the weather will be perfect. It'll be a nice little lamb. Hopefully the lion won't follow me out of town. But knowing my luck as of late....I'm sure it will. It's like when I wash my car...it rains. So if I leave for vacation, I'm sure it'll get absolutely gorgeous here at home. For all those staying in town? In advance let me say, "Your welcome...."

:-)

UPDATE: Monday April 6th.

The weather man was close, but not quite spot on. 33% accuracy. He said it was to rain all weekend and then snow on Monday. It IS snowing presently...so he was right about that. But the rain? Nothing. Nada. It was bright and sunny but cold as hell. AND we had 30-40m mph wind most of the weekend. Yikes. I've gotta check property down south somewhere.....