True spring has finally arrived in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont!
If you’ve been here a while, you might remember I was dying for this season back in February. Thankfully, time marches on, no matter how things feel, so here it finally is.
Not only is the grass verdant, but all the trees are leafing out.
The new growth is small, a tender light green, but the newborn leaves deepen the appearance of the landscape, adding depth and texture in their contrast to the darker olive and kelly hues of the evergreens.
The effect is not quite as stunning as the fire of fall foliage, but it’s lovely nonetheless.
The daffodils and tulips have been out for a while, and now the apple blossoms–white, pink, and even purple–are sprouting too.
Yellow dandelions scatter across our yard, and while I know they’re just weeds, they’re also first food for the pollinators.
We were trying to avoid mowing as long as possible, but our yard guys showed up unexpectedly yesterday, and neither Jer nor I were in a position to dash out and ask them to hold off. Luckily, there are already a ton of new dandelions out in the shorn grass this morning, so our bumble bees won’t starve.
Afternoon temperatures have been in the high 70’s–woo-hoo! All of us women are donning our sundresses.
You can imagine how happy our hens are, too.
We’ve opened the garden gate, and every evening the girls wander in there to scratch around, eat bugs, and poop, which helps perfect pre-planting conditions. After Memorial Day, we will plant our seeds and sprouts. It’s not till then we’re guaranteed no overnight frosts (we learned that lesson the hard way two years ago, when we had to yank everything shocked by the plummeting nocturnal temperature and start over, and that was a tiring and expensive recouping).
In two weeks, our giant old lilac bush out front will bloom. You can imagine how divine that scent is, and we enjoy clipping as many sprigs as possible to place in vases all over our farmhouse.
Nothing is absolutely perfect, of course, and with the advent of the warm season comes a lot more irritating and dangerous critters. The woodchucks are up; in fact, we have one trying to live under our porch.
The black bears are waking up too, and the foxes, hawks, and eagles are more active. We’re now on high alert for our chickens.
The ticks are also awake and hungry. I pulled one bloodsucker off the back of my knee in the shower two weeks ago, then found one on the lip of the bathtub, presumably from a piece of clothing. Three days ago, Jer found one on his arm. Tick season means we have to strip down and check each other after every trek into the yard, and though it’s a pain, it’s better than getting Lyme Disease. I tell Daphne, “Mommy has to check you for ticks, the BAD BUGS.”
They’re such light, flat, sneaky little arachnids. It still surprises me how they can go unnoticed, even when they’re latched onto your skin. They’re disgusting, and they featured nicely as a body horror element in the spicy monster (shifter) story I finished in April. (I’m hoping, by the way, to report that piece’s publication fate by the end of this month. It’s submitted, but I haven’t wanted to write about it too much here because I’m anxious and thus superstitious, and I don’t want to jinx it.)
All in all, though, the energizing beauty of spring outweighs any cons.
It makes me want to write about nature, and that’s translated into composing a sweet, original little fairy tale of my own, one inspired by the Scottish stories in the collection Celtic Fairy Tales and Legends retold by Rosalind Kerven, which I finished yesterday.
Though I should be editing my literary fiction piece so I can get it submitted to a few magazines, I’m more inclined to work on this story, and I’m about half way through.
I don’t plan to do anything with it except share it on this blog, and that might happen next week! I enjoyed posting my novelette on Valentine’s Day, so I want to continue sharing the occasional creative piece here.
On a final note, I had a delightful Mother’s Day. My husband spoiled me with a gorgeous flower arrangement and a package of Pilates classes, which I desperately need given how stiff I am.
My parents were also in town visiting–and babysitting!– so Jer and I were able to enjoy a beautiful grown-up dinner at one of our favorite places, the historical Inn at Burklyn, which sits on gorgeous Darling Hill, just ten minutes from our house.
The dining experience was exceptional–we were one of only four couples there, served by a minimal staff of one bartender, one waitress, and one chef. It felt like being a guest in a wealthy person’s Gilded Age home. It was quiet, private, and luxuriously cozy–a true escape from our everyday life. So very, very refreshing!
Having that Sunday with my own mother was also special–I spoiled her with new books. In addition to being a great alpha reader, she’s now my best book buddy.
I hope your spring is trucking along happily. If you are a mother figure to anything, human or animal, I hope you had a lovely holiday too.
Until next week!
XOXO,
Jenn
Jennifer Shaw 