We got home from Arkansas late Saturday, March 19. Late Saturday-early Sunday it snowed enough to make everything white. By Monday evening, the snow was gone as it melted away.

I got up Tuesday morning, had my usual cereal breakfast and made a major decision. Based on the sun shining, no wind, the temperature in the high fifties, I decided it is that time of the year to start my spring/summer/fall walk around Fountain Lake of an hour or two, depending on the route I take.

As I was walking I decided winter is over and spring is here, with summer just around the corner based on the following:

1. Per the calendar, it is now spring.

2. The ice is out of Fountain Lake.

3. Fishermen are open-water fishing.

4. I see boats on Fountain Lake.

5. Lots of ducks and geese are on Fountain Lake.

6. Youth are playing basketball outside in the park by Valley Street.

7. Youth are using the skateboard park.

8. I see robins—one momma robin tells me she has had snow on her back three times, so it is time to nest.

9. No snow to be seen.

Yogi Bera was a man of many talents. He was the catcher for the New York Yankees for many years and then the manager. Yogi helped the Yankees establish the fact of the team being the powerhouse in baseball for many years.

Yogi is better known for his Yogi-isms. The following is his best known and how it came to be:

Yogi was the catcher when the Yankees were playing the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. At the end of two innings, Baltimore was ahead 15-0 The sportswriter for the Baltimore Sun newspaper started giving Yogi a tough time, even going so far as to ask Yogi for one of his Yogi-isms to summarize how bad the Yankees were playing.

Yogi let fly with a stream of chewing tobacco into the dugout tobacco can as he said, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over,” to the Baltimore sportswriter.

The Yankees made a fantastic comeback and won the game 20-18. The sportswriter ate crow as he wrote in his column about the game, including the conversation in the dugout with Yogi. Now you know what brought about the best Yogi-ism.

In the beginning of this column I wrote about how I knew winter was over. I, too, must eat crow as I forgot about Yogi and his Yogi-isms.

Late Wednesday, early Thursday winter was still here as a blizzard with a foot of wet snow, bringing things to a standstill in this area. Yes, Yogi, “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.”

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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.