Spring!

The sweet peas are starting to stretch their stems up along the front of the house and the green peas are sprouting in the freshly dug veggie beds out back. Little leaves and buds are popping out on shrubs and trees and yes, the first of the daffodils are blooming in the yard. Amazing to see the determined signs of spring here in the new house and the new neighborhood.

Since we have no idea how long we will be in this house and, to be honest, we keep thinking of our stay here in terms of a year--we are savoring the seasons as they creepingly unfold. We have had our winter and now we are watching as things start to grow and fluff and leaf out along the lot here on Willow Avenue.

The garden beckons and I get out in it whenever I can assure that I can have a little quiet, uninterrupted time to get a little muddy and plant a few seeds. We are still figuring out how to garden with a yard full of dogs, cats, squirrels and other wildlife. Yesterday, I went out to find that the earliest row of lettuce I had planted had been eaten completely. A few sad stems left wilting but all the tender new sprouted leaves obviously served as a delicious feast for some creature. Meanwhile the mustard greens growing right beside the lettuce patch were left untouched. Tiger and I had a bit of a chuckle wondering what creature had delighted in the tasty treats.

So, we put up some wire across a few beds--just to try to deter dogs and cats a little, and while I was turning over the compost pile I resuscitated a couple months ago, I noticed it was warm and steamy--which means that it definitely HAS come to life and is a fully functional pile now. Very exciting.

Things are growing, the sun is shining, it is not exactly warm--but it is definitely early spring...and I am so into it!