Something very freaky here!

Last week, I noticed that the Christmas cactus on my bedroom windowsill was... budding. Surely this could not be right.

It usually starts showing little signs mid to late November, and is in full bloom (and by this I mean totally covered, like a perfect soft ball of pink) by early December, then it goes back to sleep for another year. I have another larger one, with differently shaped flowers, and that one is always about 2 weeks behind.

But no mistake, it is flowering alright. Not very many flowers, but they are there none the less. See for yourselves:

I have had it over 10 years, it has never ever flowered mor than once a year before.



If you think this is strange, there is more – if you live in Ireland, you know what is coming, but if you don’t... suspense, suspense!

Last week I definitely started smelling Spring in the air. And last weekend was quite nice. This, and the millions of daffodils showing their rays of sunshine, and the change to summer time gave me great hope. Summer was on its way (if you want proof, let Clive tell you all about it). Bye bye horrible winter, the worst, wettest, flooddiest, coldest we have had in years and years.

Then I woke up yesterday morning to a snow storm. Ok, it did not stick, but still...! And this morning my car was covered with a crust of snow. And I do mean crust: the wind-chill factor had hardened the thin blanket into a lovely crusty icing. Thankfully the roads were clear, but it makes me wonder: what the hell?

And did my cactus know what was coming? Freaky!