Have We Made It?

Have we really made it through our first winter in Upstate New York? People told us were were crazy, we would freeze our ______off, did we realize what the winters were like?, etc. etc. etc. Now it is almost April, and the signs of spring are here. WE not only made it, we made it in a tin can. Hauling it down off the hill and tucking the trailer in below the giant silos on the south side of the barn helped. I was getting rocked like crazy up on the hill and when the hard fall rains came I was leaking like colander after pouring out the spaghetti. I had pots all over the floor. They tell me this was a mild winter. When it started getting cold and I was on my way to work, I would take storm gear with me. I had rubber boots, extra coats, mittens, scarves, hats, etc., along with candles and matches, cell phone charged, the whole deal. Thought I might be trapped in a surprise raging blizzard. Then I would get to work and the girls had on their flip flops and the teachers were still in tee-shirts. But I was ready, just in case. It's not yet March 15 and the teachers at BOCE have their sandals and capri pants ready for the first hint of spring weather. I think I will still keep the storm gear in the truck, just in case.