Ahhh, March. The thing about March is…well, there are a lot of things about March, really. It’s a month of transition as we move from winter to spring (in theory anyway). It’s a month of variability, due largely in part to the aforementioned seasonal shift. For some organizations or companies, March may mark the fiscal year end or the completion of the first quarter for others. For some, winter sports come to an end and time that was spent in a rink or gym is often diverted elsewhere. For all the things that March is, it often offers a promise of new beginnings. Farmers and ranchers start thinking towards seeding crops, planting gardens, or are preoccupied ushering sweet baby calves into the world. I’ve assembled a short list of what March means for us
Porch Pandemonium: I’ve waxed poetic before about the pivotal role that my porch plays in the running of our household and ranch. It is the place where clothes are laundered, the room where our drinking water is kept, and the main location for our garbage can. It is also a landing spot for school bags, boots, veterinary supplies, tools, tape, flashlights, automotive items, livestock show banners, left-over Valentine’s candy, mail, and so much more. There’s random tack that shows up, the odd time someone lets a dog in, and it’s the place where all of our transitional items end up before coming or going from the house. In spite of vacuuming and scrubbing this room more than any other in my house, by the time March rolls around, the porch is in a funk all of its own. Please pass the Scentsy.
Tax time: I’m a little odd, but I actually sort of enjoy book work. That being said, this year I am woefully behind tax preparation in general and have yet to meet a few specific deadlines in spite of some pleasant correspondence from the nice people from the government. While some keen folks may have already filed their returns or perhaps are already blowing their tax refunds on great things, tax prep hasn’t quite made my radar yet. Rather than actually prioritizing our taxes, I’m writing about how I should really get around to prioritizing my taxes. I think I might know what my problem is…
Laundry lament: March is all about being prepared for a variety of temperatures from -30C right up to +20C. If ever there is month where you need to be outfitted for cold, warm, muck, wind, snow, mud, slush, ice, dirt, manure, and afterbirth, March is it. I don’t mind laundry, but when I’m stuck in a time warp of washing the same coat thrice weekly, I don’t exactly feel like I’m moving forward with my life. Of course all of these operations take place in the porch (refer to point 1) meaning I’ve even had to re-launder certain items that were clean at one time but inadvertently became dirty simply by being present in the porch.
Day length delight: March brings the promise of spring in a tangible way with its noticeably longer days. Gone are the cold, dark mornings of shepherding kids onto the school bus, or returning home from an activity at 5:30pm to a dark yard. The days are longer! The sunshine is back! You have just a few extra minutes of daylight every day to get chores done, or go for a walk. We prairie folk finally get our just rewards in March for slogging it through yet another winter…and our precious reward is in the form of earlier sunrises and later sunsets. We will take it!
March offers it challenges with a few prizes thrown in there to keep us all going. Whether the rest of the month will be as gentle as a lamb or lion-fierce, at the very least we can take comfort in knowing that spring is on its way.