I’ve been back home for 3 days, adjusting to the time difference. Because of the change to Daylight Savings Time, we only had to adjust to 4 hours difference instead of 5. We have booked the same place for next year; Portugal is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the weather is lovely. It’s quite warm back in Ontario right now, so that was a relief to return to. The next few days will get cooler, maybe a skiff of snow, but March is always temperamental here. But spring is definitely announcing itself. Nice to get away, but nice to come home too.😊

Laurie

@tigerlily glad to hear you made it home although I bet your missing the beauty in Portugal. It was warm here too but now getting cooler again. It's that time of year that mother  narure gets confused with the weather until it settles out. 

@tigerlily You came back at a bad time! It was so warm for several days last week, and now I'll be around freezing for at least the next two weeks  😩 But the sun is out more often, so that's always nice!

@veganostomy Well Eric, this will make you laugh. We had a couple of cool days at the end of our Portugal stay, and Ontario was experiencing very warm weather at the same time. So it was actually 2 degrees warmer at home than it was in Portugal the day we flew home! Crazy! But yes, today is chilly even though it’s sunny.🌞I was out checking my garden today to see what survived the winter. 

Laurie

@tigerlily If we can get through this week (cold, windy, and cloudy), it looks like all sun next week!

We gave had very high winds here the past few days.  It was warm up until today. Now it's snowing and still with the high winds. supposed to snow the next two days with no warm weather looking to be in the near future as per looking at the extended weather report. 

These winds are crazy! They tore siding off the building I live in. A lot in the area have lost electric as well. Baby squirrels have been reported to be  blown out of the nests. 

It’s like winter all over again!😩 Snow, outrageous winds, windchill. At least it’s sunny today.

Laurie

Nice and mild here today 12C with light winds

Posted by: @tigerlily

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It’s like winter all over again!😩 Snow, outrageous winds, windchill. At least it’s sunny today.

Woke up this morning, and yeah, the huge dump of snow was not welcome! LOL

@tony-h Sounds wonderful! 

@chelly I worry about wind more than most other weather events around here. We have several trees in the backyard that hang over fences, the shed, etc., and while they are stable, the wind we've had still has me worried that even a small branch breaking could cause damage.

@veganostomy exactly! The winds have been treacherous over here. I walked to the store the other day and nearly me and my wagon got lifted. 

Now if things can't get any crazier , a meteor came flying through northeast ohio and Pennsylvania this morning. I guess some heard a sonic boom and some thought a tree must have hit thier house, others thought earthquake and some thought we were getting bombed by Iran. I heard or felt nothing where I am. People 15 minutes away did though. 

@tony-h That sounds lovely, and much nicer than what we have here today. Slainte mhath, Tony!

Laurie

@chelly That would have been exciting, Chelly! Did you see it, or just hear about it later? I know what you mean about the wind - it was brutal yesterday, and bitterly cold. I was out for about an hour in it, and even though I was dressed for winter, I just couldn’t warm up when I got home. Spring teased us last week and then disappeared! 

Laurie

• @tigerlily ,well done Laurie , on our National Day 
• Here's a taste of Ireland ,one of our finest singers putting a poem from one of our greatest poets to music ,
• Raglan Road by Patrick Kavanagh sung by the late Luke Kelly 
• https://open.spotify.com/track/54DmRTsE2YlhxxdO82DiJX?si=SIo45AgsSPWkICbXZ-ALJA

@tigerlily No I did not see or hear it. Someone who was about 15 minutes away from me though told me they heard it and that's how I learned of it.

This thing they say it was roughly 7 tons , 6 feet in diameter and traveling 40,000–45,000 miles per hour.

Initial entry was detected over Lake Erie. The noise coming from the meteor traveled faster than the speed of sound. NASA shared the asteroid unleashed an energy of 250 tons of TNT when it fragmented, which is what caused the booms and loud noises heard by many. It was loud enough to even shake houses.

Some in Ontario Canada saw and heard it as well amongst a few states over here. 

Yes, we got spoiled with that warm weather and now look what we are back to. We just have to get through this winter/spring transition part and it will all be over. Then I can complain its too hot. 

@tony-h That is a beautiful, poignant poem, Tony. I actually have the Loreena McKennitt version of it, but I’ve never heard the Luke Kelly version. His is obviously the best loved, so thank you for sharing it. Especially on such an important day as St Patrick’s Day.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine convinced me to learn to play the ukulele. I am really bad, but I keep at it - I believe that learning something new in my late 60s is good for my brain. I even packed it in my suitcase when I went to Portugal (you should pity my husband!) Anyway, one of the tunes I’ve been working on is Brian Boru’s March, another Irish standard. I like to play old classics - I mean really old, like Greensleeves and Scarborough Fair, and Bach’s Bourree in E minor, although I’m working on some more contemporary tunes like Here Comes the Sun. I always thought of the ukulele as a toy and not a serious instrument, until I heard Jake Shimabakuro play While My Guitar Gently Weeps. That 5 minutes changed my mind. Of course I will never be in his league, but it’s still fun to push myself to improve. 

Laurie

Posted by: @chelly

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Some in Ontario Canada saw and heard it as well amongst a few states over here. 

Um, now that you mention it, I was reading about people around here hearing a very loud boom... not sure if we are close enough to actually hear the meteor that you describe, but it seems possible! We aren't *that* far from where it was seen!

@tigerlily hey Laurie great that you play the ukulele,  did you know George Harrison was a huge fan of the ukulele,  he always had a few in his car and gave them as presents,

And have you heard Prince's solo on My Guitar ?

 Just listened to the Jake Shimabakuro version and it's absolutely beautiful 

Today it was 31°F when I walked to the store with my wagon. I had to get food and i kept procrastinating because it was cold but the fridge was getting bare so I had to force myself.  

I'm glad its done and over with. The fridge and cupboards are full again. I won't have go out for a while now. It was so cold though.

Beautiful day here , sitting outside with Ellie in the sunshine, 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZA8yUdJZnrEBgb7k6

18C

@chelly I think the next time you go to the store, the temperatures will be warmer. Today is approaching seasonal at 8C; tomorrow will be 11C. Getting there. The snow we got a few days ago is pretty much gone.🌞

Laurie