I am one of those people who loves numbers. I can read numbers like someone can break down the hidden meanings in the lines of song lyrics. Numbers tell me so much and some of the numbers I love are weather statistics.

A few nights ago, I was watching the weather report, watching the weatherman throw statistic after statistic about April weather. The screen was full of numbers by the end of the report and the numbers told me this is not a normal spring and it looked like, even compared to spring 2023, this is a cooler and wetter than normal spring.

This photo was taken this past weekend – the first weekend of April – and until yesterday, after a warm spell last week, the temperature fell back into the 30’s and 40’s, causing me to have anxiety about my vegetables surviving the nights. So far, other than a couple of burned leaves for the potato plant and a nasturtium seedling died from frost, everything is pretty much surviving.

Including me, who is not happy with these roller coaster temperature swing. When is spring coming? When can I put my coat away? When can I re-attach the hose to the faucet without worrying that it would freeze?

Last week, my mom was insisting I go to my aunt’s house and take pictures of her peach blossoms. To be honest, though, I don’t want to visit my aunt’s house until it’s absolutely necessary and somehow photographing peach blossom didn’t feel like a good enough reason for me to brave the cold and walk over.

On Saturday, the day after the snowstorm, with the sky still gloomy with chances of scattered snow shower likely, my mom decided she wanted to go see the cherry blossom at the Utah State Capitol. She also decided to invite her sister to tag along. We headed over to her house to pick her and while we were waiting for her, my mom said, “hurry up and go take some pictures of the peach blossoms,” because I had my camera along with the 18-400 mm lens.

I took all of 3 photos and this was the best one.

By the time we arrived at the Utah State Capitol, it had begun snowing again and hard, it seemed. It was the second trip thwarted by bad weather. The first was a few weeks back when my mom wanted to go to the botanical gardens to hike only to encounter 50 mph wind.

Within a few steps from the car, my mom wanted to turn back but her sisters had already crossed the road on their way to see the cherry blossoms. “Hey!” My mom shouted, “It’s too snowy, let’s leave!” Reluctantly, her sisters crossed the road. My mom was the first to head into the car. Something told me she was not interested in seeing the cherry blossom, not that day, not ever. She hates nature, shuns me every time I start seeds or do garden chores.

In the car, we waited for her sisters who were still out there taking pictures. “What is there to take pictures?” She complained, a grumpy look on her face.

“Plenty,” I wanted to say but it wasn’t like she’d listen.

#SundayStills