The weather was so nice on Sunday that I almost dragged the garden hose and sprinkler out of the garage to water my birds and a couple of small trees that could probably use it. I almost did that. Then I decided it was too late in the day and by the time I had allowed the sprinkler to run for a sufficient amount of time, it would be too dark to rewind the hose and put it away.

With my luck the temperature would plunge, the water in the hose would freeze, and I would have one split garden hose come warm weather. That would require replacing it and to do that I would have to shop. I hate to shop. So I just didn’t water anything.

See how I get out of doing tasks I don’t enjoy?

Instead I decided to hope for a little rain this week; similar to what we had a week or so ago. I thought if we could grab an inch or so every week for some time to come, things might look pretty good by summer. That seemed like a good plan — much less troublesome than dragging a garden hose around.

Then I heard that we can expect freezing rain, ice, and snow come Wednesday or Thursday. Actually, the weather people I heard were almost unanimous in their call for that famous Kansas phenomenon known as a “wintery mix.” That is what they name any precipitation for which the forecast is not definite. It means they aren’t certain what we are getting in what amounts or where. I think I could be a weatherman and make the same forecast. Wintery mix describes many types of moisture.

I really do hate cold and winter and I despise snow, but even I am ready for some Kansas wintery mix. We are desperate for moisture and I hope my birds, shrubs, and small trees will be getting some of what they need. I can slug it out — winters in northern Iowa and Illinois must have taught me something!

So, good luck to all of you during the coming week. They say we are not in for much accumulation south of I-70. In my most humble opinion, they most likely just don’t know. Accumulation could be good — let’s live dangerously. Bring it on!

— SUSAN MARSHALL