Poco a poco, little by little, the snow continues to recede in the yard. The patches around the trees grow larger as their heat continues to melt the snow and the shoveled areas continue to widen in girth as well. Unfortunately, I wandered into the garden area and sank up to the tops of my rubber boots in crunchy snow crystals, so it will be a bit before I can clean the raised beds, turn the soil and prepare for the coming gardening season. But while standing there, getting cold feet, we heard two owls hooting to each other, which was a treat and reminded me of an old friend.
Now that the protective blanket of white is disappearing, all the last minute projects that were left undone due to the first snows of last fall are reappearing, like the deck/screenhouse that needs finishing, the wood piles to cut, the last stalks of broccoli that the deer ate before the stems froze too hard even for the deer to chew.
Plus, where Jeff cut down trees over the winter, the brush piles are appearing. Which is why yesterday I went out and bought myself a new set of pruning loppers- great big ones that will cut through a branch 1 5/8 in thickness. I tried them out on a pile of poplar branches this afternoon and it was like cutting through soft butter. What a treat and a joy to use instead of the small pruning shears I have always used in the past. Maybe this year I won't give myself rib pain from trying to cut branches far too thick with pruners far too small to handle the job.
There is a joy and a rush of energy to see the ground appearing, but I must admit, a bit of sadness, too as now there will be a constant flux of work to do and no days off because of the cold, snowy weather. Even summer rainy days are needed for the water table and the indoor chores that get neglected because there is so much to do outside on the good days.
Winter anyone?
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