After a particularly brutal winter, Richland County residents took full advantage of one of the first warm weekends of the season on April 12 and 13.
Temperatures in the 60s and 70s on Sunday, April 13 meant Gene Stallkamp and Denise Roth could finally enjoy riding through the country on their motorcycle.
“We like going around this area and the Amish country,” said Stallkamp.
Also enjoying the weather in downtown Mansfield was resident Zachary Fox, who said the infusion of Vitamin D made him feel better about life again.
“Seeing the grass and being able to get out in shorts and feel the air, and it’s going to be lighter longer, that’ll definitely improve how I feel about myself and how I can get out and enjoy this,” said Fox. “I love the spring flowers, the daffodils and the hyacinth, spring is my favorite time of year to see all that stuff come into season.”
Enjoying the weather at Eastview Elementary School was Tanner Dennison and Tesla Newberry with their seven-month old son Jaice. Newberry said she was happy to bring Jaice to the park and do something outside the house for once.
“I just love it, it’s sunny outside and we can take him out to play and we can all do stuff as a family,” she said.
Resident Michael Fyffe agreed he was happy to be outside, noting he’s excited to go fishing again, and Ken Davis said he was excited to start barbequing again.
“The weather is good and finally the snow is gone,” said Davis with obvious excitement in his voice.
Another person excited about the lack of snow was Crestline resident Darryl Boyd and his wife Tamie.
“(I’m excited about) finally not freezing to death, and being able to get outside without a snowsuit on,” said Darryl.
The Boyds visited the garden section of Lowe’s in Ontario on Sunday shopping for new shrubs to plant at their house.
“We’re doing a lot of remodeling the porch and putting in new shrubs and flowers,” said Darryl.
Leslie Scheidler, lawn and garden nursery specialist at Lowe’s, said the store was its busiest on Saturday. She added the surest sign of spring was the blooming of the forsythia, which means only two more snows left in the season.
“You could see the excitement in folks’ eyes, the spring in their step and a smile on their face,” she said. “Spring has sprung.”
