Spring Postponed

I lied when I posted on the 22nd that we were well on our way to Spring.  Well, we're well on our way to SOMETHING.... but it isn't Spring!  This weekend brought 6" of new snow and today it's seriously snowing some more.  ENOUGH ALREADY!   

This change in weather has everyone on edge, cranky, confused.  The Thrushes have arrived but don't have access to the worms or bugs they'd normally be picking from the ground right now.  I'm back feeding my Chickadees and other little guys in the back yard to help them get through this latest change of weather. 

But look at this.... even the slugs are confused!  I debated whether to put this guy to safety but I didn't....  I'm not a fan of slugs and will go to all measures to pluck their eggs from underneath rocks and wood rounds and kill them.  The grandkids and I go slug hunting to find the real things and put them out of my misery.  Still.... I felt bad for the little guy....  Just a little.... 

Waiting for Spring

This is a difficult time of year for me.... Is it spring or is it still winter?  Are we going to HAVE spring this year or go right into Fall?  If we have a nice spring, does that mean we'll have a horrible summer?  

So many questions.  Last year our April was absolutely gorgeous!  In the 70's all month long.  Now, this is incredible for a couple reasons.... we hardly ever get weather in the 70's in the middle of our best summer and here we're sunny AND warm in April!  And did we live to regret it?  You bet we did! 

The rest of our summer was horrible.  Normally we will start our winter cleanup around now, picking up branches that have fallen in wind storms, raking up the million pine cones that have fallen, picking up trash that has blown into our yard, more raking, tidying up gardens.  Last summer our weather was so horrible that we struggled all summer long to even get our spring clean up done.  We were still pruning damaged shrubs well into Fall.  Summer came and went at the blink of an eye. 

Yes, this is our dilemma....  what kind of summer are we going to have. But first.... we need to feel that spring has finally arrived.

I can honestly say that I believe it has....  At least the little red nubbins of the rhubarb have poked their shiny red heads up through the frozen ground.  That's no easy task!  We've had a few nice, sunny days but it hasn't been warm.  This weekend it was gorgeous, but the 41 degrees felt more like 32 degrees. 

We've already done a lot of our spring clean up but still more to go before we can welcome summer.  I'm anxiously awaiting some green to start forming on my shrubs, maybe a little yellow from Trollius to shine on our yard. 

But, for now, everything is still pretty brown. 

Yes, spring always brings with it hope.... hope for a sunny summer.... time spent outside without having to bundle up.... picnics.... hot dog roasts.... and a yard filled with color.  So far we're off to a good start.  Wish us luck! 

Later! 
Nancy

Is it Spring Yet?

Okay, so right now all I can think of is Spring.  Spring.  Spring.  Spring.  Spring is that hope that Summer will come next and maybe, just maybe, this year it'll be a nice one.  Here's some of my winter pictures from this year. 

 

I love this picture. It looks like a yard of cotton, doesn't it?  Snow had pretty much melted except for the big piles where it had been piled from shoveling so one sunny, brisk 21 degree day, we went outside and started breaking the piles down and scattering it all over the yard!  Clearly we had nothing better to do that day!

 

One day, the grandkids wanted to go sledding so my hubby took the snowblower to the back yard and made a figure 8.  This cleaned up enough snow and we had a trail to pull them on their sled.  They had so much fun!

Ugh.  Snow.  Snow.  And more snow.  There's always something to shovel! But it sure is pretty....

Right after Thanksgiving, my husband hangs clear lights in the front yard.  I love how it looks with all the snow.    Isn't it pretty?



I can almost see myself sitting here, sipping a nice cup of tea, reading a good book.  Well, maybe this summer....

Ahhhhh, I love my bridge.  It's just a bridge, over a dry creek bed.  Nice. 



Yep, almost time to light a fire in the fire pit... Well, soon....

But it's not Spring yet.  We thought it was a couple weeks ago when the sun came out and the temps dipped up to 21 degrees.  Snow was melting pretty fast.  I even saw some buds on my shrubs! 

Then.... two Winter Advisories brought about 8" of new snow.  Bummer.  And earlier this week it was back down to 8 degrees.  Again... a real bummer. 

It's raining today and we're supposed to have rain mixed with snow all week.  Maybe it'll rain hard enough that all our snow melts and we can have Spring.   

Later!
Nancy