Blossoms!

After the vanilla-plain of winter colors in which the bones of our deciduous trees stand naked, spring enters... Tree frogs singing, bees buzzing, robins whistling…. Even the chickens seem to cluck with a joyful noise.  The trees are producing pollen; the flowers opening, and the sun sets with warm orange and reds.  Fresh mowed grass and aromatic daffodils fill the air.  Spring has sprung! The "ahhhh..." and "ohhhh...." of newness everywhere.

Bluebells everywhere.  One of our first naturalizing flowers of the spring.

Romaine lettuce starts

Northland blueberry plants early in bloom.  The bumbles just waiting for them to open.

Our tulips returning.  Such an amazing site every year.

Apple blossoms

Black raspberries preparing for bloom

A busy time for the bees.  I smell the sweetness of early spring honey.  Time to put the supers on!

Even the wild violets and yellow pollen-producing, bee-making dandelions are lovely.

Sweet cherry blossoms

Today's Journey Joys: color, reflection, prisms of light and dancing, bird music, momma kitty preparing for birth, the promise of light golden spring blossom honey, perennials returning, tomato plants one week away from planting, and a semester close less than one month away...

Pauses and Puddles

 The days between rain drops and mud are few.  We've been trying to move the clay from our "basement" to raise and widen the driveway.... hoping to get it high enough so that it will be above the riser for the pond and wide enough so that drivers feel safe.  But soft, squishy soil sticks to tractor tires and spins the four wheel drive dump truck.  So on this beautiful blue-skied day Farmer's Husband Gary lit the twig/stump pile on fire and cleaned up around our building site.

We've made some impressive progress.  Yet there are many loads of dirt which need to removed.  Unfortunately, the ground is too soft and slimy to work on this weekend (2 weeks ago).

This Saturday and Sunday brought 70 degree temperatures and drying wind.  The marshy grasses took off.  And the ground was firm enough to travel and dig more dirt from the basement. We moved 24 dump truck loads to the driveway. And then it was time to bring out the laser level again.  We had made it to our original goal of seven feet.  Now to fine tune that last foot or so before the concrete guys come on in and do their measurements and make it perfect!

All this lowland grass will one day be under 7-8 feet of water....

The evening shadows across the upper pond...

One more load to dump on the way to putting the tractors back in the pole barn...  We've made great progress!  I am eager to put the gravel and finishing touches on the drive. But rain is expected again this evening and so the excavating and rock delivery will be postponed.  The materials for the new barn have been rescheduled for delivery next Tuesday. One step at a time.... learning to be patient and enjoy the process.  There is Joy in the Journey....

Today's Journey Joys: a driveway in the making, tractors and trucks, the trickling sound of running water in creeks and streams and culverts, butterflies flitting, honey bees buzzing, dandelions in yellow glory - baby bee food in the making, purple creeping Charlie, daffodils smiling, new rose bushes planted, the arrival of 1300 new blueberry plants, and honey bee pick up tomorrow!