Ah, Spring, the most optimistic season, the promise of things to come here in the Northern Hemisphere. (Not to be confused with my favourite season, autumn, because of the colourful leaves, my birthday, and perfect weather in Nova Scotia – warm days and crisp nights.)
March 14 will be the start of Daylight Saving Time – outmoded, silly, and disconcerting, but a jumpstart to longer days. And then the 17th brings us the excuse to drink discoloured beer and pinch people who aren’t wearing green.
All a lead-up to the 20th, the Vernal Equinox. Day and night are equal, the long, dark, dreary, dismal winter is at an end, every tomorrow will be longer (until the summer solstice on June 20 – and then it’s all downhill). Soon, tree buds will swell and birds will return for nest-building. I’ll start thinking about shaking the dust off the outdoor furniture cushions in case there is a warm-enough day to sit on the deck to enjoy fresh air.
Interestingly, the equinoxes are the only days on which the sun rises due east and sets due west.
For those of us who dabble in the garden, now is the time to sketch gardening plans and start seeds indoors. I already have a few trays planted with onion and spinach seeds. Although I’m eager to get all my seeds started, I need to be mindful of the last frost date in my neck of the woods, which is May 24. I have only so many grow-lights and only so much counter space. I’ll start the hardier plants now and trust they won’t mind a few nippy nights once they’re out in the big wild world -safely surrounded by the deer fence that some suggest could flummox a marauding army.
Speaking of mud – oh, didn’t I mention the other name for this season? - the circling Bald Eagles have moved on so I’ll squelch my way to the hen house and let the ladies out into the yard to dig and scratch.
Photo by Tschernjawski Sergej on Unsplash
5 comments:
Last week when I was out on a walk, I heard the call - a scree-kind of sound - and saw the pair of bald eagles circling over the golf course (I live a couple blocks from the edge). Ducks and rabbits I'm sure scurried to safety. Wish the eagles would take down the squirrel population. However, they left, talons empty.
Looks like you must keep your guard up to keep your ladies safe.
I'v been seeing hints of Spring around me as well. Daffodils are up, rhoddies are budding, and we seem to have a little more sunshine than rain at the moment. I loved your description of how you prepare your garden.
This line made me chuckle: "safely surrounded by the deer fence that some suggest could flummox a marauding army." When we lived on Mt. Hood we tried so many things to keep deer away--fencing, various animal urine promised to scare them. They were smart enough to overcome all of it. I did abandon roses because they saw it as a special dessert. Eventually I grew accustomed to awaking early in the morning to find a fawn bedded down in our marigolds. Though they didn't eat them, they liked to lie among them.
Enjoy your coming Spring.
Spring is definitely on the way! My daffodils are starting to peak up through the dirt, about 4" tall now. The pussy willow in the back has furry buds on. the geese are back that nest down the road by the pond.
However, we've had frost on the 4th of July. June we still have lots of frost, so it doesn't pay us to plant too early. Last year we had 6" of snow on my birthday March 15th.
Still, happy to know the warmer season is on the way! Nice blog post.
Nice post, Luanna. Like you, I'm looking forward to gardening season. Until then, enjoy your seed starting and feathered ladies!
Yes, mud season has unfortunately tortured me all winter this year in Maine - as winter temps have gone up and down and up and down. Snow one day, forty degrees the next Late last week we had a wind chill factor that took us under 0. Two days from now it will be 57. So I can relate to Luanna squelching her way through the mud to the hens. Back when we had normal winters and mud season didn't often appear until April.....
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