One Month Later

Well, here we are, a picture on April 20th, as promised, in my post Spring! Yeay! of a month ago, to prove that Spring really would come, maybe just a month late.  A generous prediction, I think!

One of my blog readers claimed that I was "ever the optimist." (Thanks, Betty!)  But I know I can live in some very negative places at times, and be all too vocal about it.
Yet I admit to being, in many ways, a hopeful person.

So although we received a nice dusting of snow AGAIN the night before my April 20th picture, I know it will be gone before the day is out...probably...maybe...hopefully...   :-)

A Hint of Green

Down by the Peeper Pond, the first hints of new greenness this spring.  In the background, our evergreen pines.

These little ones are the Ground Pine or Ground Cedar wiggling out from under the matted dry ferns from last year. They only send up one new shoot per year, and previous years' shoots are evergreen.

They are, of course, not true pines or cedars or any type of tree.  They are a type of Club Moss with extensive underground rhizomes.  It is likely that all the shoots you see in this picture are actually one plant all connected underground.  This makes them sensitive to repeated foot traffic.  Both in the forest and open fields, MorningStar has many large areas completely covered in their green beauty!

Ground Pine (Lycopodium obscurum)

They are so brilliant green against the brownness in spring and so perfectly formed that they just make me smile.

If you'd like to learn more, here's a link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopodium_obscurum

My Peeps

Yesterday, Julie and I started our day with a project.

We'd already had help from a knowledgeable and strong retreatant, and then Brian came to do more of the heavy work.  Making a plan:

Hard at work:

Now what?

 
Little by little:

On the edge...

Then a good pull by the truck and down she goes!

Finally, the road is open again!  Thank you all!

That was all before noon!  Then Julie and I did a survey of MorningStar land since we could get through the remaining snow with the truck in four-wheel drive, mostly.  We headed to the large labyrinth, but the snow was still over a foot deep  where it had drifted on the road and the consistency of miniature marbles due to the warmth.  So we turned around and came back down to Hobbits' Hut.

A little spiffing up...

Then down to the Peeper Pond. See our Spring Peeper friend?

Now, enjoy the music!

We just rested and listened for quite a while.  Heaven on Earth!  I know we'll still see some snow flurries, but for me, this is Spring for sure!

P.S.  I know it looks like I didn't do any work at all.  Honestly, I didn't do much.  But being the historian with a camera has value too.  Or at least that's what I tell myself!  I hope my fellow workers agree.   ;-)

Wild Winter Continues

I had the audacity in my last post to say, "Spring has arrived!"  I know better.  High winds and freezing rain produced this and other losses just a few days later.

This ancient maple uprooted 4 or 5 other trees when she broke and fell; quite the archway to Julie's cabin.  A couple pines had their tops broken off and one fell across the road like a gate.  Yet with all that, the ice still creates a wonderland of beauty.

Mary's ice house:

Brave, cold, British Soldiers

All just lovely!  Then it snowed for a day, and now it is attempting to melt...slowly, slowly.  There was even a glimpse of sunshine this morning.  Spring may not be here, but it is near! I am sure of it!

Snowdrops

Now I can say, "Spring has arrived!"

These little bundles of joy had popped up all around RoseWind at MorningStar.  They make my heart leap!

Though not native to the United States, they have naturalized here.  Learn more: Snowdrops

Thank you!  You remind me about strength, hope, perseverance, fortitude, and the shear joy of Spring!

April Fools

Well, here I thought spring was really coming.  The snow has all melted off the deck, and the path and driveway had clear areas.  Then I woke to this:

And this:

But I could not help but be grateful for this:

Ahhhh!  SUN!  Thank you!