I haven't noticed many (if any) April Fool-type gags in the news and social media today, which I suppose is understandable. There really isn't a lot to laugh at in the world, at the moment. However, I rather think that Mother Nature has decided to play a few tricks of her own in the absence of any human endeavour.
This all started yesterday, March 31st, which makes sense as there is no logical reason why Mother Nature should find herself bound by the Gregorian calendar. I wandered downstairs, in my usual bleary state, and opened the curtains in the cat's bedroom. Yes, I know that sounds rather grand. In reality, she has the run of the Dining Room at night and I'm sure she thinks of it in those terms. Anyway, I pulled back the curtains and was greeted by bright blue skies and some very welcome Spring sunshine. Nodding appreciatively, I shuffled into the kitchen to perform the same function. I pulled on the cord to raise the roller blind and was greeted by...BLIZZARD! All you could see was whirling snow.
Now, I like a laugh as much as the next person, but this was more than a bit disconcerting!
Later in the same morning, as I was enjoying a contemplative shave, I heard a quacking sound. This isn't entirely unusual as we have what is grandly called a 'lake' just down the road from where we live but which is actually a duck pond. From time to time, the residents of the 'lake' potter up our cul-de-sac to see what's going on. What made this unusual was that it seemed to be coming from close to our bedroom window. I looked out, and saw this:
