Now that winter has come to an end, spring finally has arrived. The lovely grass is peeking out, looking more beautiful each day and the flowers will soon be in bloom. When we think of spring, we think of gardeners and greenhouses getting their seeds started, the streets getting cleaned of all the dirty gravel, and people wanting to get outside more. When I asked my favorite horse instructor about the snow blizzard that hit Creston this winter, Michelle Whiteaway replied, “much too much -- too much, too long”. I agree with this statement because I too hate the snow. Down at the Therapeutic Riding Center (TRC) the snow meant frozen poop and hay which had to be cleaned up. Also the tack room had to be reorganized, horses’ manes trimmed, and the farrier came to put horse shoes back on. A lot of spring preparation had to be done before the riding lessons started on April 3rd. Michelle had to refresh the horses’ memories of their routines, so you might see her riding through town. She had to make the schedules for lessons and hold the annual volunteer training day on April 1st. It is very important to TRC to get these spring chores done so that horses and volunteers are ready and that riders will be safe.
Often I stop in at Tigz for their tea of the month and enjoy a hot drink. Now that spring has approached, Tigz is bringing back their chilled teas. I tried their sample “Elderberry herbal” and it tasted fruity and refreshing. I look forward to May when they add fresh fruit. When I asked Lori Cameron about the snow she replied, “I do love the snow; it is beautiful to look at through the window but sometimes it was hard for people to get to the shop”. She also added, “When the sun decides to shine, come down to try a chilled tea at Tigz.”
Across the street at Evergreen Clothing Boutique, Bonnie Graham liked the snow because it was good for sales of warm clothing like toques, scarves and jackets. “It was good exercise clearing snow off of the sidewalk,” said Bonnie. She is excited for her spring clothing inventory to arrive. She will be going to Nelson and Castlegar to pick up her orders from Mahadevi, Nomads, and Abaka. Some spring clothing options will be light weight bamboo capri leggings, t-shirts, dresses and booty shorts. Bonnie will be busy tagging and displaying new clothing at the beginning of April. When I asked Bonnie why this is good for spring she replied with, “It makes us feel energized, happy and excited for a new season with new clothing to add to stuff you already love”.
Once the snow completely melts, our valley will be busy with people getting their spring chores done and everyone should experience what is new in town as well. People I talked to had different opinions about this past winter season, but I think we all agree that spring is long overdue and will bring new adventures.