soon

Winds are rocking us up here on the ridge. Rain, ice, snow is in the forecast. Snow is still knee deep between the house and the chicken yard. The chicken yard annex has snow higher than my waist. Yesterday's temps just above freezing left us with a sizable ice rink between the house and the out buildings. In other words, winter won't let go.
And so, I'm looking for signs...
We change the time tonight to give us the illusion of longer days. The Amish function within the community on daylight saving time but don't change the clocks in their homes. They prefer to remain on what they call slow time. From now til November I'll need to ask them "our time or yours?" But the time change bolster's my belief in winter's end and I always look forward to it.

Seedlings are under the grow lights in the basement. A few brave greens are struggling toward the artificial light. I wonder just when they'll be able to be brought up and out to the mini greenhouses I'll set up on the porch. When the ground will be exposed to the sunlight. How soon the warm crops can safely be started indoors.

The photo above was taken two years ago today. I had just finished pruning the grapevines. I can't get near them now. But I know in my heart that spring will arrive. A new growing season will begin. The chickens spent the entire day outside yesterday, in the mud around their house. They've left the funniest footprints in the snow along the edges of their bare ground. It never fails to lift the spirit to spend time with them. And they are laying their splendid eggs after their necessary rest during the coldest months.
From time to time I catch a note of birdsong that hasn't been heard much this winter. For the first time in a long while we seem to have several cardinals near.

Although I've posted here a photo of a cardinal in our maple near the pond, the maple and the pond were removed last season. Sad but necessary decisions. This is a photo taken on an April day a few years back. Thinking to find some evidence I walked where I could yesterday, searching, and not one of our trees is showing any sign of letting go their tight grips on this spring's buds. But yesterday was the first temperature above freezing and local maple producers are talking sap. The sun is reaching into windows at angles not seen since autumn. Our local True Value is gearing up for its annual March sale event, a carnival of sorts.
Soon.