Toads in the Road (from September 20)

From my nature journal: September 20, 2009

Driving home last night, I tried to avoid hitting all the toads in the road. Small hopping jumpers, their eyes reflecting red, the toads came out to enjoy the warm rain. Little carcasses showed where cars had been unable to keep from running them down. I slowed, glad to be alone on a country road, driving carefully to let these little ones live. Crane flies, looking like giant mosquitoes, fluttered in the air. However, the mosquitoes themselves seemed fewer than usual.

This morning, the scent of warm rich leaf mold permeated the damp air. My daughter rescued one last toad, removing it from the road before the bus came rumbling up.

Current Dispatch - End of March

Just before the rain, I managed to plant two rows of broccoli, a row of marigolds, and a row of cabbage. Let's hope the rain and slowly warming earth help them to sprout! Squirrelboy insisted on going out in the rain and jumping in puddles. Nothing is happier than a little boy getting drenched as he splashes in joy. When the soil dries out enough, I'll continue planting cabbages and some early spring herbs. I also have seeds in the freezer and refrigerator to "cold treat" and then pull out mid-April for planting.

Not Too Early to Work the Garden

Today I dragged Squirrelboy outside for about an hour. The air was warmer than it has been for a while, and the sky was grey. Rain hung in the wings, waiting for the right moment to begin. Cheerfully, I began tugging out the old tomato cages that had been supporting the wraiths of last year's plants. They slid easily from the muddy earth. I set my boy to picking up rocks that had been piled between the plants. He plunked a few into the bucket, but didn't stick at the job very long. He's only three, after all. Squirrelboy stood watching me vigorously dealing with the tomato cages and the vestiges of weeds surrounding the black mulchcloth. He kicked at the "bad guys", denuded stalks of broccoli, as the rain began coming down. I reached around his little body and helped him pull the bad guys from the ground. The thick stalks and kinky roots made an impressive conquest for a little fellow. By the time I finished yanking up all the leftover plants and checking to see how easy it would be to get the mulch off the ground (yes, I know, my bad for not taking care of it last year), Squirrelboy's hair was matted to his head and he was shivering. Such a little trooper! Of course we went in and had warm soup for lunch, so all was well.