Francois calls it; Winter is over

David Francois was out trimming his lilac at his home that fronts Kelly Ave. on Thursday, Feb. 27 as temps jumped into the 60s.

The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 28, 2025 — It’s over.

Gardener and avid bass fisherman David Francois made the call on Thursday as temperatures were in the 60s and the buds on his lilac were showing green.

“Winter is over,” the 68 year old said, noting he cant wait for his rock flowers to bloom and draw TDHS seniors for their graduation photos.  “The honeysuckle comes in June and July.”

Loppers in hand, David was hard at it, making things just so on the lilac.

He comes by it rightly having grown up on the Francois Farm here in The Dalles where they grew peaches by the ton.

David said the family orchard could sell up to 10 tons in a day as people would come from as far as Montana to buy truckloads of peaches for canning in decades past.

David, also noted, that his left wrist is healing up after a fall during an elk hunt near Meacham just down the road from Immigrant Springs State Park and about 20 minutes from Pendleton.

David pointed out that he can’t wait to get casting for bass on the Columbia River.

“Going bass fishing, that’s my passion,” he said.

Oh yeah, when and where?

He quit talking.

The National Weather Service is calling for a high of 64 degrees Fahrenheit today, the last day of February. And March looks to be coming in like a lamb on Saturday with a high of 60 with sunny skies.