The rains have ended for now and the annual lake has developed in the field.  Its a low area which always collects water after the spring rains come and the snow melts.  One year we even had ducks swimming out there.  The dog loves it.   The rains also melted off a huge pile of snow out in the garden and look what was  underneath – hellebores!  Yippee… now for a little more warmth and some sunshine please.

Winter just doesn’t want to let go.  There is a giant storm off shore and the winds are howling even inland.  The woodstove is roaring away and keeping me warm but it doesn’t feel like a spring day one bit.   I can see the main garden from my window where i’m typing and  some  is still under a snowy blanket while some is peeking out from under the covers.  I went out briefly this morning and saw that a few daffodils have poked through the ground. Some crocuses and tulips have just barely broken through the dirt.  No buds yet.  This weekend the temps are supposed to be in the 50’s so I’ll venture out for an assessment of winter damage and a closer inspection to see if anything exciting is happening out there.

We have some old willows on the property.  They always take a beating and the ice storms a few years ago really took a toll.  One in particular has a lot of rot and will probably have to come down before it falls down.   The trunk has developed quite the personality though..  he looks like something out of Tolkien don’t you think?   I hope we can save the tree, but Old Man Willow may have seen his last winter.

Spring is trying hard to …. spring.  We still have snow on the ground but there are some bare patches.  The glacial formations in the driveway remain huge.  Herds of robins have shown up though, the goldfinches are starting to turn a bit yellow, the cardinals and woodpeckers are making a racket and the bluebirds have been house hunting.  They must have figured that the cold will end sometime.   A few snowdrops have poked up and some daffs and other bulbs appeared in the leaf litter the other day.    Pussy willows are in evidence and I cut some forsythia to force.  If we can just get the temps to rise above freezing for more than a day, I think spring will be bustin’ out all over.

Snowdrops