First Flower of Spring

Squirrelboy brought me the first flower of Spring - a pretty yellow crocus. The bees from our three surviving hives are out visiting. I think the maple blossoms may be feeding them. I planted some early spring herbs - fenugreek, chervil, cilantro, amaranth, fennel, and cumin. The warmth today makes me want to plant and weed everything! Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do that today. The dog and cats are playful. We have seen the cranes, geese, and redwinged blackbirds returning. The blackbirds sing from the weeds, staking out their territories with music. Last week, all four of us went out in the cool wet mud and planted about 120 linear feet on the north and west side of the house in ferns and wildflowers. Inside, the rooms grow more beautiful as we hang pictures and move in furniture. There are still many details that need arranging, but we are happy to be living in such a beautiful place.

Looking Forward

Although it is still snowy here in Dragonwood, we are looking forward to the warmer temperatures predicted. A thaw is coming! The sap will start rising in the trees, opening buds high in the canopy. Our bees will venture out and find something to eat. This winter has been beautiful and fierce, but not even winter can last forever. In the Manor, the Lord has brought two loops of heating pipe into operation. Today, he plans to add two more. Soon our upstairs will be warm. We have scheduled carpet to be installed on Valentine's Day! In a few days or weeks, we will need to plant the woodland wildflower roots we purchased in the dead of winter. Your Lady is looking forward to cold mud on her hands and the knees of her jeans, for cold mud means farewell to frozen fingers, and the white blossoms of wildflowers will replace the white blanket of snow.

Robins

A little troop of robins, red breast feathers fluffed out against the cold, just flew merrily past the kitchen window. After three snow days in a row, these fellows remind us that winter must pass. Warmth and sunlight and green WILL return! Before the storm came, Squirrelboy and I discovered a bunny home at the base of a tree by following their tracks. Faerygirl enjoys pulling out the sled and slipping on the icy mounds heaped up by the winter storm. The Lord and Lady keep busy feeding the woodburners, looking forward to the days when our dragons aren't so hungry. At this time, we have lost 2 hives to starvation, but 5 are still pulling through.

Misty Moisty Morning

Snow on the ground.
Rain comes down.
Fog rises.
Misty, moisty morning with steam in the air.

Squirrelboy and Faerygirl squelched through the slush on this mysterious, creepy morning. Faerygirl remembered a Stephen King story she'd read about an evil fog. I forbade her to speak of it, since it was truly dark and foggy, and I could imagine my own shadowy horrors lurking in the mist. At one point, I saw electric blue sparks somewhere in the woods (could it have been static electricity from the hair falling over my eyes?). Instead, I recalled a charming story I'd read as a girl about a village that only appeared in the fog. Faerygirl thought that was a nice idea. Squirrelboy enjoyed kicking the slush, and Faerygirl remembered how she used to enjoy doing the same. Too soon, the bus loomed up out of the fog, blinking and twinkling its safety lights, to take my daughter away. Squirrelboy's mitten found my hand and we went to fill the woodburner for the day's heat.

First Real Snowfall of the Season

Today the snow sticks! Squirrelboy is terribly excited. He observed that "snow is way colder than sand." Dragonwood and the surrounding fields look so peaceful and festive in their whiteness. Little squirrels are also out and about, chasing each other and frisking their fluffy tails. It's a pretty day.