Plenty of rain gives way to beautiful spring

The older this plant gets the more flowers it
has. I look forward to these
sweet-scented lilacs every year.

It finally rained--the kind of rain that is memorable--more than seven inches. We needed it! I absolutely loved watching the rain.

I'm grateful that predicted severe storms didn't materialize. I'm slightly terrified of what Mother Nature can do and has done all around us over the past several years. We aren't that far from Branson, which was hit on Leap Day this year by a powerful, destructive tornado. Gassville which was hit a few years ago is woefully close by--in the same county. So, I feel fortunate.

This recent rain event was nothing like that. In fact, while there are some dock owners on the lake that aren't happy around here, I saw our rain as nothing but positive.

Since spring had already commenced, Mother Nature's magic nectar has transformed our landscape into almost a terrarium.

I had planted a few things in the garden, but just a few. After all, it is only mid-March and I don't want to face plant death from a freak frost. So, I kept it to a few things that I could cover if need be. I plan to sow more seeds this weekend. There is time to take it slow.

The only possible negative I can see from the vast quantity of rain we received is that the flowering of the early trees and shrubs was accelerated. The forsythia and redbuds no sooner got their flowers open when they fell off and sprouted leaves. To tell the truth though, that was enough flower for me because I really live for those beautiful spring-green leaves. To me, they are as beautiful as the flowers.

That quick flowering cycle of the early trees and shrubs is about to give way to the soon-to-be flowering of azaleas, lilacs, mid to late-blooming tulips and irises. It is all fine with me. To me, spring is like magic.