Signs of change: the first bit of color arrived this weekend (clix pix for BIG PIX to see).
Greetings, fellow shut-ins. Inspired by the enjoyment that I've derived in these challenging times from reading other bloggists stories of life under isolation, I thought I'd meander into a non-hobby post of my own. On Friday, the last snow pile disappeared from our yard ("garden" for our friends in the UK), and as I was sitting out on the steps of our back deck on Saturday, I spied a pinpoint of blue sticking out from among the beds on our rock ledge (above). This served as a prompt for me to shift things from winter to spring. But amidst the news that the worst weeks of the pandemic are now upon us here in the US, it also serves as a sign of better times to come. So, between bouts of working remotely today (Monday), I went through the ritual of the seasonal swap....
...I gave the garage a good clear out and cleaning...
...and swapped out the winter equipment for the spring/summer kit, most significantly, stowing the snowblower and bringing out the lawn mower...
...the Foo Dogs were brought out of storage and took up their places on the front steps, officially marking the shift in season...
...out back, it was still a bit early to be putting out the deck furniture: we are expecting some mixed precip later this week, but no accumulation. So after that, the deck will be outfitted...
...but still, other signs of life out back have appeared...
...and today was the first day where you could see that the grass was actually mostly green (something that always seems to happen overnight). Just on Sunday, the wife and I were commenting on the fact that there were only a few patches where the grass seemed to be growing. So after swapping out the garage, et al, I thought I'd continue with a short walk on our property...
...we have about 1.5 acres of woods behind our house...
...the entrance to which I rather fancy as being shaped like a doorway into another space...
...the walking sticks have been put out for the season (found just after entering the woods)...
...the trail then proceeds back from there. The wife is the gardener, and I'm the forester. I created the trail system and tend to the woods...
...in another sign of spring, the intermittent marsh at the back of our property is inundated...
...although not so much that you need to use the stepping-logs (yet)...
...turning the corner and skirting the back of the property...
...more signs of spring sprouting from the forest floor...
...turning back towards the house...
...to where our household saint abides and watches over all.
COME WHAT MAY, TIME AND THE HOUR RUNS THROUGH THE ROUGHEST DAY
--Macbeth, I, iii, 148-49
In our next post we will resume normal hobby programming.
Excelsior!
Nice pics Ed, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Jack.
DeleteVery cool scenes, Ed. Looks like some acreage you have there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dean: just enough space that you lose sight of the house and get that "in the woods" feeling.
DeleteThank you for the very enjoyable tour of your homestead, Ed!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jonathan--fair exchange for all those views of the Palouse :)
DeleteThose forest floor sprouts are teaberry. Tasty to chew on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, AJ: they won't be lasting long now :)
DeleteMan, I feel like I just visited your house. Lovely post and lovely place 😀
ReplyDeleteNow I am shamed into doing some yard work that I’ve been neglecting...
Happy to help get you out of the house--whether it's a virtual visit or doing yard work ;)
DeleteMost attractive!
ReplyDeleteI could use someone to manage our woods! And yard...and
Unfortunately, the Tsarina has not lifted the bonds of serfdom in these parts, so I am bound to the land and unable to pursue service with other landowners...
Delete