Cracks of Spring

 

I have been heartened recently by the sudden cracks of spring appearing in the world.  Yes, a new administration that doesn't embarrass us, a slowly returning sense of some decorum and peace but I mean this in a simpler way. The never-ending snows of February seem to be ending, we've experienced several 50 and 60 plus degree days and I even saw glimpses of lawn. Let's all utter a gigantic sigh of relief!

But wait; this morning on arising and letting little Robin the Good out the door, what did I spy!?!??! It's (gasp!) snowing again! Here, allow me to torture you with a picture:

Oh mercy! haven't we had enough?!?!? (I think you know my answer.) (Robin the Good was supposed to make a guest appearance but ran off way too quickly on some evil assignment of her own.)

I am being a tad melodramatic as it was a mere dusting and now what's falling from on high is simply a mix of rain and some freezing concoction, but can we just keep the sunny warm stuff going?

I was touring my Spring/Lilac/Daffodil Garden area yesterday and could feel the swellings of bulb noses waiting to erupt. And the lilacs definitely show burgeoning tips. They're ready too! The ground down there has warmed, the snow had (notice past tense) disappeared, and walking through this section of the yard was possible without sinking boot-high in crusty snow drifts. 

But I think I'll just keep looking at that hopeful begonia at the top of the page. It knows the light is changing. It's not quite ready to go outside and take it's chances but it senses better weather coming. Another sure sign that Spring is near is the horses beginning the months-long process of shedding their winter coats; my hand comes back from patting Neko coated in copper hairs. And the birds! the birds are singing a happier song!

Swell!

 OOops! That title makes my post sound like another tick tale: but it's not. I promised a nice blog posting and I am delivering. Here is a story of nascent, burgeoning spring! The buds are swelling...
Take, for example, my friends the lilacs. I planted a whole array of lilacs- offsets of Mommy's plants that have been healed in by the horse barn for ages, a few I purchase marked down at big box stores- and even one (full price) that just caught my fancy. They now have a permanent home with presents from family and friends (thanks Beatrice! thanks Bob S.!) I have "Primrose", "Red Wine", "President Grevy" and "Pochahontas", to name a few; I can hardly wait to see who blooms. (Secretly, I'll be happy with just green leaves at this point. Everything is that brown and tan and grey of late winter.)

But in the meantime, just the simple fact that these beautiful buds are erupting and creating heightened expectations for a spectacular spring are buoying me through these last brutal end of winter storms. We're supposed to have another "snow event" on Tuesday night and I'm not looking forward to it. At least the days are longer and it's not so cold- in the forties as opposed to the teens.

It's so exciting! I know there's a few fragrant blooms in tips. And all that hard work of excavating rocks and poison ivy (and getting a couple of nasty cases of poison ivy!) paid off. The lilacs all made it through the winter and seem ready to explode. I'm cheering them on!