Spring's color's coming

© harrington

Welcome. Thanks for stopping by. If you're a snow lover, shouldn't you be outside enjoying some of the last few days of Winter? Meteorological Spring starts this Friday. The vernal equinox is less than three weeks after that. This morning's moon, with a ring around it, was the last full moon of Winter (Ojibwe: Sucker Fish Moon, Namebini-Giizis or Dakota: Raccoon Moon, Wićta-wi). Before things soften up too much, I think I'll see about collecting some dogwood cuttings for decorations in the house and growing near a damp spot in the back yard. A few years ago, we tried planting some rootstock we got through the county Soil & Water Conservation District. It didn't take, I think because we let it sit around soaking too long before we planted it. Being able to look out the living room windows and see, in the back yard, bright red color against the snow would, no doubt, cheer me up in mid-Winter. The berries could attract more birds than we get at the feeders, other splashes of Winter color. Spring's a season of color, but not the only one. Autumn leaves, especially where there are maples, tamarack, and aspens (My Minnesota anyone?) would compete with Spring wildflowers if they weren't separated by six months or so. Spring, however, does a much better job with brown than any other season. Minnesota's mud season starts mainly in March (how's that for alliteration?) and sometimes flows on into April. For the sake of our neighbors in the Red River valley and in hope's of improving soil moisture, let's wish for a relatively slow snow melt with more infiltration than runoff. I'm not sure that's doable, but it is to be wished for. What are you wishing for as we begin to enter a season of rebirth, renewal and regrowth? My grandmother used to say "if wishes were horses, beggars would ride." I wish you'd find time to stop back tomorrow and check out what's growing or flowing here.