In the ongoing drama of our changing season, stuff happens. Sometimes it happens so fast you wonder if maybe we’ve slipped into one of those science-fictional time shifts. You know — nice English nurse wanders into a Scottish stone circle and, shazam, next thing you know she’s in the 18th century and being rescued by men in kilts.

There’s a reason we call this season Breakup and not Slowly Melting Away. When Beluga Lake decides it’s going to return to a liquid state, there’s no fussiness about it. Drive by one day and it’s ice. Drive by another day and the swans have taken up residency. 

Or, consider last Friday. The day started out all growly and mean, with big gray clouds and snow flurries roaring down. For a moment it felt like one of those sneaky spring blizzards, the kind that catch you complacent after you’ve swapped out your studded tires.

Oh my. Don’t tell the Betster you’ve changed your studded tires already. Easter is Sunday. Easter has always been a good occasion for a little blizzard to sneak in and give us one last reminder of winter.

Anyway, just to mess with our heads, right when we thought last Friday would turn into The March Blizzard That Buried Homer Under a Blanket of White, the storm ended, the sun came out and everything melted. A teenager who wore shorts to school that morning could walk home and smugly say to the parents, “See? I was right.”

All of which is a way of saying that change is in the air. You knew that. You can tell by the snow melting, the lakes and creeks thawing, the crocuses emerging and all the cool stuff happening this weekend, like these Best Bets:

 

BEST LIVE ART BET: An artist creating an original painting live and outdoors? How cool is that? For $1, from 5-8 p.m. Friday, watch artist Dan Coe paint on the back deck of the Homer Elks Lodge. Get some snacks or steak, have a beverage, and then put in your bid for his work. Proceeds support the Elks scholarship program.

 

BEST ART AND ABOUT BET: While you’re cruising the town for First Friday, don’t forget the Jubilee Youth Art shows at the Homer Council on the Arts and the Pratt Museum. Those are just some of the art openings on Friday. For all the details, see Arts, page 10.

 

BEST KNOW YOUR PEEPS BET: Real soon now the spring shorebirds start showing up. Don’t know the difference between a greater and lesser yellowlegs? Get some tips from bird expert Martin Renner on shorebird identification at 7:30 p.m. today at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center.

 

BEST MOOOVE IT BET: See a genuine working farm with tractors, cows, horses and chickens for the fifth annual Family Farm Day for Kids from noon-2 p.m. Saturday at Seaside Farms, Mossy Kilcher’s spread. The family-friendly event is sponsored by Nature Rocks Homer.

 

BEST POETRY, PILGRIM BET: Homer also has some genuine cowboy poets and musicians, and you can see them sing and recite poetry and all that stuff in the eighth annual Cowboy Cabaret starting at 5 p.m. Saturday at Alice’s Champagne Palace. 

 

BEST THE HUNT IS ON BET: Don’t forget the Easter egg hunt from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at the Homer Elks Lodge, with eggs galore for both younger and older kids.