It's mud season! #phenology

a gravel road early in mud season

Photo by J. Harrington

One week from today is March 1, the first day of meteorological Spring. Today the temperature is in the mid-40's, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. That combination leads to melting snow turning into rills and rivulets which, on gravel roads and unpaved shoulders makes mud and puddles. I don't doubt that we'll see more snow this season and, perhaps, well into astronomical Spring. But we know it won't last, at least that's what we hope. I'll try to not spoil it all by becoming too optimistic.

some leaf buds balloon in early Spring

Photo by J. Harrington

In two weeks Daylight Savings will return, bringing with it longer evenings and later sunrises. I've yet to settle on the details for planting a Three Sisters garden, so that needs to move near the top of the list. There's a couple of branches on one of our oaks that  catch the roll over protection on the tractor each time I mow under the tree. If I'm going to trim them I need to do it in the next week or so to minimize the chances of exposing the trees to oak wilt. Can you tell I'm getting excited about spending time outside? A poet that I probably don't read often enough has a wonderful poem about this time of year. Here's e.e. cummings on Spring:

[in Just-]

By E. E. Cummings

in Just- 

spring          when the world is mud- 

luscious the little 

lame balloonman 

whistles          far          and wee 

and eddieandbill come 

running from marbles and 

piracies and it's 

spring 

when the world is puddle-wonderful 

the queer 

old balloonman whistles 

far          and             wee 

and bettyandisbel come dancing 

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and 

it's 

spring 

and 

         the 

                  goat-footed 

balloonMan          whistles 

far 

and 

wee

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