I'm generally a fall and winter person - I love autumn best, but the landscape of winter, with the bare trees and branches against a winter gray sky and the muted colors is also very appealing to me.
Most of the time spring is a bit too "busy" - everything coming to life again, color bursting into full hue, and the noises of insects and frogs - it all combines into one big buzz for me. Overstimulating.
This year though I am craving springtime. When I look out at the yard, the barnyard, the paddocks, the fields, all I want to do is head out there with the mower and the harrow, mulching the leaves into tiny pieces, dragging the manure out, and cleaning everything up. Problem is, between the cold and the rain/snow, it's either frozen or mush, and so everything sits out there looking forlorn and ugly.
I want to cut everything back: the trumpet vine on the front porch (have done that), the butterfly bushes, the small trees that have grown into beds. I want to go along the edge of the woods and push it back to where it's supposed to be before trees and shrubs leaf out and make the job more difficult.
I want to widen the labyrinth path and clear the underbrush and fix fencing.
I look at the barn and see the need for repair and sprucing up. I look at the deck and all I can think of is power washing. I'm thinking of things like white wash and resurfacing stall floors and ordering loads of crushed stone.
The urge to put things into order is huge.
At the feed store I found myself gazing lovingly at composters that turn and roll. Elsewhere I was looking at seed starting kits and thinking of raised beds in the back yard.
I don't know when spring will arrive, but there's a very good and reliable sign. Salina is shedding. She always sheds first each year, and once I see the sprinkling of loose hairs on her back, I know we're at least on the other side of the hump of winter.
The bulbs in the beds are also out, so I'm taking that as the first uprising of green that will hopefully lead the way for everything else.
When the redbuds bloom and the carpenter bees start buzzing, I think it will be safe to say it: spring is here.
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
12 comments:
trouble is, it's the light nights that start the shedding and there's still some cold to go.. at least, here there is! we're all hacked off with the mud as well.. nightmare...
you've changed your pic, that's a good view!
Claire, we definitely have some more cold to come, but I would be surprised if we don't see more spring-like weather right around the bend here.
"Desperate for spring," never was there a more apt description.
My fingers ache to bury themselves deep in fertile soil, eagerly plant seeds, transplant flowers and clean up the mess left behind by an uncaring winter.
Jenn, I LOVE your line, especially, "clean up the mess left behind by an uncaring winter."
Beautiful, and so perfect.
Couldn't agree with you more. I am also 'desperate for spring', although it may not be my favorite season it's better than this. Can't wait to spruce things up and start planting some flowers etc... Unfortunately, even though I've seen some shedding going on we are due for 4-8 inches of snow tonight. Ugh!
Oh Billie, how I know what you mean. I wish I were there to see bulbs forcing their way up through the earth. We're a long way from that, though Molly suddenly started shedding today, making us all cough and sneeze. Jack and I hang onto our winter woolies until at least end of June - I hope young R&R are doing likewise. I also hope wise old Salina has insider info on an early arrival of spring...
it must be something in the atmosphere this year... i have never been so desperate for spring in my life. i can't really explain it, because we've had worse winters in the past. but this one has been just sucking the life out of everything here at the farm. to top it off, we just had to let our barn help go and i'm stressing about being able to get everything done and get to work! can't get too much worse! my only consolation is the lengthening days (and the shedding of the horses ;-) as a sign that it's almost over.
i'm usually a fall person (with spring a close second) but we missed out on most of ours this year and went right into winter. so i'm putting all my hopes on a good spring this year, and i can't wait for it to come!
Arlene, I'm sorry to hear you have more snow falling! I could never live further north than we are - I think I would end up crazy!
Sheaffer, R&R both keep their fur quite late in the season. At first I thought they might be miserable with the heat here and all that fur, but it's quite smart, b/c the fur deters all sorts of yucky insect pests that plague the horses.
The great thing about Salina is that she sheds bit by bit as the days lengthen, while with the geldings it seems to be an all at once fur-fest that means grooming is a hazard to one's health. I'm talking eyes and mouth full of horse hair b/c of course the wind blows just when you stroke the brush up, and all that fur goes to the face like metal shavings to a magnet.
j, I feel just the way you described. It seems like a long winter, and I'm uncharacteristically in need of warmth and green.
Your post made me yearn for a place to call my own, with fences to fix and spring to conjure up. One of these days...
Michelle, do all your wandering and traveling first - then when you're ready to completely settle down you'll be able to fix fences and conjure rain, and sun, and seasons all year round, as needed! :)
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