I mean, really, this is getting a bit ridiculous.

Last week when we ran a picture of snow in April and someone shoveling the six inches of white stuff, it was a bit humorous.

Many newspapers across the state ran much the same thing on their front pages, with almost our same caption:

‘Spring? Seriously?’

Some asked ‘April…Really?’ in their headlines, or something similar, but the theme was the same.

The snow, some of it heavy north and west of here, was a very cruel, late, April Fools joke from Mother Nature.

But, it all started melting away before the ink was even dry on the pages of last week’s Faribault County Register. And hopes of spring returned. In fact, by Tuesday we were out covering baseball, tennis, softball and golf.

But now, as this column is being written on Thursday evening, April 18, we are in a winter storm warning. It has rained, sleeted and snowed all day.

And, by golly, there is enough out there that we are going to have to plow, shovel and blow once more.

Enough is enough.

We should have several rounds of golf under our belt by this time of year. We should be picking radishes out of the garden. Swatting mosquitos. Complaining about the humidity.

Not building a snowman. Not listening to dozens of sports, meetings and events all cancelled and postponed due to a blizzard.

How will the spring sports teams ever get all of their games played this year? They will be playing every day in May….if May happens to be any better than April.

Poor Rob Norman, activities director at Blue Earth Area Schools. His desk calendar must be a mess as he tries to reschedule event after event.

We live in Minnesota, of course, and should be used to this.

It has happened before. And I remember when quite distinctly.

It was 40 years ago exactly, almost to the day.

On April 18, 1973 there was a raging blizzard, just like the one this past week.

I was in North Dakota, editing and publishing the Enderlin Independent weekly newspaper. My beloved fiance was in Rochester, planning our wedding, which was set for Saturday, April 21, in that southeast Minnesota city.

She called and wanted me to leave immediately and drive to Minnesota.

In a blizzard. Snow and wind. Visibility zero. Roads were closed.

I declined and waited until the storm was over the next day.

April 21 dawned with sunshine and moderate 60 degree temperatures. But, there still was plenty of snow on the ground.

By the next day it was mostly gone.

So, snow in April in Minnesota is not all that unusual. It happened 40 years ago, and it happens every once in a while.

But, that still doesn’t make it any more palatable.

Like everyone else, I think this is just a little bit too much to take.

And the worst part?

Somebody just told me the forecast is for more snow on Tuesday….

And one more thing.

Happy anniversary, Pam.

Aren’t you glad I made it to the church on time, despite the snowstorm?

And that you married a newspaper editor.

Who writes a personal column every week.

Like this one.