There are no words to describe the blue of the sky this morning. What a perfect, still, spring day! Setting out this morning with only a light fleece jacket and headband, we could faintly hear the far off whine of neighbour Pat's chain saw, working away in his sugar bush off to the west.
After the rain and then the freeze up, one can walk in the woods
anywhere with snowshoes, on top of the crust. On the trails, boots only
are required, as long as you place your feet on the flat bits that were
where the showshoes packed the trail. In the open, where the full
onslaught of the rain landed, it settled the surrounding snow,
leaving the packed trails as ridges. Out there, you
can practically dance on the hard crust.
My garden beds are surfacing, the trail to the compost bins etched on the surface of the field.
The red maple buds are
swelling slightly, deep, rusty red twiglets etched against that blue,
blue sky. What promise is held in those swelling buds! We tapped a
couple of trees last week. Today, as the temperature rises above freezing,
the sap will run, and this evening we'll collect some sweet water to make coffee with
tomorrow. The
next week is forecast as perfect maple sap weather, just below
freezing at night, and rising above freezing in the day, with
that powerful sunshine lifting the spirits of every winter weary
creature.
The red squirrel's midden, rising from the depths. The owner chastised us as we came by.
A surprise on the dormant trail cameras...Mr. Fox, with a rabbit!
There aren't many rabbits around here, but...he didn't get them all, as a few days later, this picture appeared.
I know where one of the fox's dens are, and before the rain and the deep freeze, there were fox tracks in the soft snow, radiating out from the den area, like spokes of a wheel. Perhaps Mr. Fox has more mouths to feed now.
Sure looks like spring is on the way! :)
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like spring coming to the north country. I spent some time, long ago, in Australia, and spring was what I dreamed of most during the hot, dry times.
ReplyDeleteYour header picture is lovely! Have you tapped your trees in previous years? Do you boil it up in your kitchen, or elsewhere. I've heard it can be a sticky mess doing it in your own kitchen. You're right, though, about perfect weather for it. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn. Thank you. (Thinking of you this week. Good luck.) We tap a couple of different trees each year. We drink the sap and make coffee with it. (elixir of spring!) Two taps doesn't give enough to make syrup. Yes, I've also heard it makes your walls sticky if boiled inside, that is why I won't do it! We have neighbours with sugar bushes who keep us well supplied. Long ago, my brother and I tapped over 200 taps and had an evaporator and equip. It is hard work staying on top of that, especially in a year of heavy run. A gallon of syrup is worth every cent!
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