I think I mentioned our resilient winter-surviving pansies in a previous article. Well here they are April 20, still hanging in there in spite of more snow last night. I have lived in many places and have never heard of snow in a sea level river valley this late in the year. As you can see it is melting and again I am thinking last throes of winter. How does this square with global warming? I don't know, but I guess it has to do with warmer ocean temperatures causing more moisture in the air which in Spring cold snaps comes out as snow (?). Anyway we are hanging in there too waiting for Spring and for the Democrats to stop squabbling and start taking on the Republicans and for the "Change, You Can Believe In" to happen, and for the "war" to be over. The whole thing reminds me of a song "Hang on Little Tomato*" by one of my favorite groups, Pink Martini (I am secretly in love with China Forbes). I guess if the Pansies (and Tomatoes) can hang on so can we - plan to try.

*Some "Hang on Little Tomato" Lyrics"

You gotta hold on, hold on through the night
Hang on, things will be all right
Even when it's dark
And not a bit of sparkling
Sing-song sunshine from above
Spreading rays of sunny love

Just hang on, hang on to the vine
Stay on, soon you'll be divine
If you start to cry, look up to the sky
Somethings coming up ahead
To turn your tears to dew instead

And so I hold on to his advice
When change is hard and not so nice
You listen to your heart the whole night through
Your sunny someday will come one day soon to you