Surely, we can now safely say the frosty night temperatures are behind us? I have always used Mother’s Day weekend as my guiding date to plant annuals outside. The weather was consistently beautiful for the first part of April. I got overeager and began to plant a few things to get ready for spring and summer blooms. I was thinking about an upcoming graduation party outdoors and how much bigger the plants would be if I just got an earlier start.
On the weekend of April 18, our youngest daughter was getting ready for prom. The sun was out but the weather was chilly. She and her date took several photographs outdoors around our farm and at the neighbors with a local photographer friend. They then joined their friends at an indoor venue for some additional photographs. The girls were all stunning in their beautiful gowns and the young men looked handsome in their suits and jackets.
As we left the photo venue, we sent the kids out for their dinner reservations and plans to attend Junior Senior Prom at a local wedding venue east of Elkins. I sighed thinking that this was the last time I would have a daughter going to prom. It has become quite a production. It was fun but I think the boys’ school dances will require a lot less effort to get ready.
As I lay in bed that evening watching a TV series, a weather alert went off on my phone. I looked at the predicted low temperatures for the night and panicked. In all the prom hustle bustle I had not been paying attention to the frost warnings. I scrambled out of bed and got dressed. I proceeded to stack up every tall piece of Tupperware and plastic pitcher in my kitchen along with a stack of bed sheets. I went outside and covered my precious plants with everything you could imagine. I finally came back in and went to bed.
In the morning, I went outside and looked at the grass covered in dew. I do not think the temperatures got down to freezing level, but I was glad I had taken care of things just in case.
Whether it is our children, our livestock or our flower beds, I realize we must be vigilant and pay attention. As our youngest daughter approaches her graduation day, I’m still paying attention to the things she still needs from us even as a young adult. Our livestock are a lot fewer these days, but we tend them with care, nonetheless. And of course, I am very thankful for frost alerts from the local weather service, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
