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Nothing tests your patience quite like spring.

In the past week alone, we’ve had a day where it reached 80 degrees, followed by a weekend blizzard, followed by a nice mix of snow, rain and general misery.

For athletes who are trying to prepare for their seasons, the clock is ticking and they won’t get those rainy days back. Luckily in Austin, we have the Packer Dome, which allowed the softball team to get its season started on time, while offering a place for other athletic teams to practice in a wide open space when outdoor conditions are not ideal.

The Packer Dome has been open for a decade and it has given local teams a headstart on the season and a chance to get out of the gym, which is where most high school sports spring practices are held.

But soon, the games will be moved outside and the all too familiar vision of players huddled in blankets as the cold spring wind whips around the dugout will be a reality. If it’s a game I’m covering at Riverland or Marcusen Park, I’ll likely be cowering in the press box with my laptop commenting how bad it must be for those poor players to be trying to play baseball in the worst imaginable conditions.

But soon after, the weather will lighten up and games will be played in proper conditions with a warm sunshine and a soft breeze. Maybe, it will even happen before the playoffs begin mid-May!

Until then, we must all suffer together through the calamities of April, which is notorious for weather shifts and sudden rain showers.

Just remember that those April showers will surely provide May flowers.

We’re almost there.