In the winter we live in a world dominated by black and white. Then, come spring, when your eyes finally spy those first green shoots, you can feel something sigh within you as your gaze rests on the welcome color. For awhile each new spot of green in the landscape is a welcome sight but now, now are the days when the earth explodes.

Last week we were still enjoying the soft fuzz of new leaves, spring flowers, growing grass and emerging plants. This week, after a few days of rain, the amount of green is no longer a relief to the eyes but an assault. Jane walking in green woods Plants have grown inches, new leaves are everywhere and the spring flowers that were the focus of the landscape have become hidden under the flush of growth. There is no doubt about it, the growing season has arrived!

Reinforcing Bad Habits

May3

One morning I (after, of course, staying up far too late the night before) woke up, completed the mostly unpleasant task of getting two of the girls to school, put breakfast in front of the crying and volatile third and went out to take care of morning chores.

My dog (always watching out for me because he’s, you know, perfect) alerted me to the presence of an intruder underneath the brooder house. fox under the chicken coop

I pondered the situation, took a picture (who am I kidding, I took five, then my camera battery died), showed Jane what a fox looks like (he was much further away than he appears in the picture) and then made a decision.

The chickens stayed locked up, the dogs were put in the basement and Jane and I went back to bed.

When I woke up, the fox was gone and the rest our daytime visitors were cheery-looking (okay, so the bluebird looks grumpy but I’m pretty sure he was actually super happy) winged creatures.

honey bees

male bluebird

female bluebird

male rose breasted grosbeak

Today was probably terrible reinforcement of my napping and avoidance habits, not to mention my problem with procrastination…

But hey! I had a great day- the second go around!

This Moment – “Hi Chicken!”

Apr22

A Friday ritual.

A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Jane with chick

Spring Always Comes

Apr8

Spring never slips over the earth in an instant, instead it comes in fits and spurts.

A flower pops up here, while a bit of snow falls there. A chilly day today is followed by blue skies and sun tomorrow as winter slowly cedes to spring. snow drops

This year instead of sharing time, winter and spring are sparring. The ground’s dusting of snow is quickly burned off by the hot sun, only to be replaced by evening. Warm days are chased with frigid ones. A sunny day is repeatedly interrupted by howling wind and snow. Its a war between the seasons, but I know who will win. DSCN1816-(2sm)

Life always marches on. Spring always follows winter.

The baby chicks are peeping warm and safe out of the biting wind and the daffodils are slowly blooming despite their occasional covering of snow. New bees have been installed with plenty of honey to keep them fed until the weather warms and new fruit trees have been planted in spraying snow with fingers crossed.

Spring always wins, but that doesn’t mean winter has to make it easy.

This month we said our first hellos to brand new family, brand new friends.

And this month we said our last goodbyes to others. crocus

Spring always comes, life always goes on, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

An Icy Reminder

Mar28

Last week, after a few warm days, winter came back to ensure we all didn’t forget about her while in the throes of spring fever.

She showered us with sleet and rain and snow and ice – just because she could. DSCN1711-(2sm)

Winter stopped by for a day, perfectly encased the world in ice, then let the sun out the next morning to show it off.

By the end of the day she was gone. Every last bit of her.

Today the daffodils are showing yellow in their buds.

I told them to hold on.

Winter has gone but I think she’s still hiding just beyond the next bend.

I encourage you all to head over and visit Jerry Johnson on Dispatches from a Northern Town and read Glazed. He got hit a bit harder than we did with the same storm and he describes this weather perfectly. (Also I’m pretty convinced that he has re-adjusted the “in like a lion and out like a lamb” saying about March just right…)

It’s Still Coming

Mar2

The last weekend in February was warm.

Fifty plus degrees warm.

And sunny.

So sunny that two of us ended up sun burnt.

The snow melted, sandals and shorts were dug out of closets (because this is Wisconsin) and we all enjoyed the hint of things to come.

And then, on the first of March (because this is Wisconsin), it snowed.

A perfect, beautiful fluffy snow. And people howled as if spring had been stolen from them.

icicle

It’s still coming.

Can’t you feel it?

The sun beams warm the patches of floor they fall on.

Can’t you see it?

The chickens are laying more eggs.

speckled chicken egg

The forgotten tulip bulbs have sprouted in their bags.

Even the garlic can’t resist the call of spring as it sends out tiny green tendrils from it’s dark corner of the kitchen.

It’s not here yet.

It’s not time yet.

But a little snow fall can’t stop it.

snow drops

It’s still coming.

Kid Art

May6

A spontations, ephemeral and collaborative effort using found items.

Sadly, this piece of artwork was dismantled immediately after being photographed as it was in an area that required “cleaning up.”

The Littlest Beekeeper

May5

It was one of those long circular discussions but in the end Clara agreed, no pet bees would be living in the house.

Had Jane been paying attention to our conversation, rather than cowering and screaming each time an escapee honey bee from the two packages in the back of the truck whizzed near her, she would have been relieved.

Clara inspects the two packages of bees.

Even I, the one who brought the idea of beekeeping and then the bees into our life, draw the line at house bees.

But neither of us could stop Clara from dreaming and wondering… What if she could hold still enough that one would land on her… and maybe stay on her hand during dinner… and she could feed it some honey… and if it was there at breakfast she could give it a little more…

“What if… Mom… What if…”

Clara holding up the queen bee in her cage for inspection.

Needless to say Clara was a willing and enthusiastic helper when it came time to hive the bees that evening. (Jane stayed in the house with Ivy.)

Clara listened to what needed to be done. She watched as John and I installed the first hive and then grabbing her own little hive tool, did it herself on the second.

Clara dumping the bees into the hive.

As the final bees got shook out of their box and into the hive, she caught some on her glove, “What if just one of them stayed on my hand Mom…” Clara in bee suit

“What if…”

Spring Is Here

Apr30

The sky is overcast.

Rain, or something like it that is colder in a way that’s best not to acknowledge, is spitting down and the spring that seemed imminent just days before has blown away in the cold gusty wind.

Yet the howl of wind and wet is abruptly muffled as the door closes behind you. Replaced by a soft symphony of tiny peeps and a friendly ring of red light and warmth.