CrossRoads Farm

Spring Signs

06 April, 2005 - 8:13 am

It’s somewhat dreary this morning. Yesterday was spectacular. I went outside for a while and puttered around the yard. I cut down the old brown bones of the garden by the garage and around the irises by the small barn. I also let he chickens wander free for the afternoon. I don’t know what they find to eat - the lawn is brown and dead. It looks like you feel after an illness. Empty and not quite itself.

Of course if I let the chickens wander then I don’t get any eggs. They hide them. I’m a predator just like a snake or a raccoon. So they go lay their eggs in the grass. As it was for about an hour yesterday I couldn’t find Edgar. She’s my favorite. Her feathers are black with iridescent green and she has one tiny feather growing straight out from each side of her head, so it looks like she has ears. The other chickens peck the hell out of her. So yesterday, when I couldn’t find her I wondered if they’d finally killed her. But H found her hiding in a nest of tall grass. I went back later to see if she had laid any eggs but there weren’t any.

The ground is so wet still that I am afraid to really work at the garden. The sedum and lupine are starting to sprout and I’m afraid to pull them up by accident if I try to rake. Besides a layer of leaves and dead foliage will provide a little protection if we have a cold snap. Or worse yet – any more snow.

There is still snow on the ground here. Mostly in the shaded places under stands of trees or in the hollows. And there is plenty of standing water. It will be another few weeks until spring really gets under way. There are buds appearing on the lilacs. I can’t wait to see them in bloom. After all the work I put in on them last summer, I’m hoping there will be tons of blossoms.

The sun is attempting to burn through the clouds giving the play area an almost greenish cast. Yesterday H played outside all afternoon. She was filthy and soaked by the time she came in but she had a great time. I even got out one of the boxes of summer toys and she emptied that all over the lawn. And if it warms up at all, she will probably play outside all day today too.

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