Is It Winter or Is It Spring?

A large, heavy snow fell in our area in March — this is my backyard at the start of the storm.

The month is April, nearly mid-April in fact. As I look out my window, an overcast sky greets me and a chilly 25 degrees F awaits me to step outside with my dogs for their morning routine. Yesterday morning, small fluffy snowflakes fell from the sky when just a few days prior, the sun shone and the afternoon temperature reached nearly 60 degrees F.

Is it winter or is it spring? It’s the season of BOTH!

One of the first robins that came to my back yard last month — before the big snow storm.The Rocky Mountain West – Seasons Change Quickly

Living in the Rocky Mountain West for most of my life has taught me several things: a deep appreciation for the majestic beauty of mountains, plains, rivers, wildlife, and other aspects of nature; to enjoy solitude and rural areas; and to relish the beauty of each of the four seasons. I’ve also learned snow can fall anytime, and that just when you think spring has arrived with the blooming purple and yellow of crocus, the green budding of bushes and trees, and the arrival of robins, killdeer, and western meadowlarks … BAM! Three inches of snow covers the ground.

I often wonder if returning birds ask one another, “What are we doing here? Who said it was springtime?”

Rescue Road is set in autumn and the sequel, my new book called My Montana Love, is set during winter and spring.Stories With Seasons

My newest book release, My Montana Love, is set in southwestern Montana, another area that teeters between winter and spring during March and April. The book begins on a frigid January morning and concludes mid-March, waffling between the seasons of winter and spring. This book is the sequel to my first sweet, contemporary western romance, Rescue Road, taking place five years after the conclusion of that book. Rescue Road was set in autumn, and my second book in the series, Finding Love at Compassion Ranch, is set in late summer.

I enjoy writing about the varied seasons experienced in the Rocky Mountain West. My books’ settings, including the season of the year, become characters in themselves. I enjoy describing the weather, the sky, the location, weaving in colors and landscapes. I know many of these places well, having lived in Montana and Wyoming for decades. I know the seasons and the settings because I’ve experienced them, from golden leaves on aspen trees in autumn and sagging branches of bushes after a down-pour of snow in winter to pink shooting star flowers in a wooded forest in spring and burnt-orange and violet sunsets after a summer thunderstorm.

A Wyoming sunset near my home.

Whether it’s winter or spring, summer or autumn, if you enjoy reading about lovely settings in the West, second-chance romance, and pet rescue and adoption, check out my series, The Pet Rescue Romance books! Find out more on my Amazon Author Page by CLICKING HERE.

Pet Principle:

No matter the season of the year, our pets need clean coats. Dogs especially are prone to mud and dirt from spending time outdoors. Bathing pets, brushing them regularly, and taking them to the groomer now and then helps to keep their fur healthy and more free from bugs and pests, like ticks and fleas, which flourish as the weather warms up.

Get tips on good pet grooming practices here: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-grooming-tips

Bathing and grooming our pets keeps their skin and coats healthy. Pixabay photo.