This morning the sun is glowing behind some hazy clouds, and there is a definite feel that spring is on its way. It is -5C (23F), but there is a certain "Je ne sais quoi" in the air.
The birds have been galloping through the seed supply which I've had to restock. This morning as I reloaded the suet feeders, two hairy woodpeckers were less than 3 feet away up in the apple tree above. I held up the suet cake and one hopped backward down the trunk, appearing to be thinking about hopping over onto the cake. I ran out of patience before she made a decision!
We've had a busy week. The old tractor breathed its last...too much to fix this time. We knew it was failing and Hubby has been on the hunt for a while for a used tractor with a loader.
Well, he found one over in Quebec, just across the river near Chapeau. We went and looked and met the folk, a lovely older couple who have to downsize. We had some trouble finding someone to truck the tractor back, as there are special regulations for truckers coming out of Quebec. It took some searching, but we found a licensed trucker and on Wednesday, Nellie Belle arrived home.
It was a treat to head off and see some new country. Other than that, we have been able to walk around our snowshoe trails early in the mornings before the days warm and the snow gets sticky. We have tapped a couple of maples, as the forecast looks good for the sap to run. Mmmmm....maple flavoured coffee coming up!
There are bare spots in the drive where the westering sun reflects off of the house and melts things down. Mud season is just a smidge away!
Congratulations on the new tractor! I dread it when ours has problems, as I'm sure you did too. Fortunately, Dan's been able to fix it all so far. Such an important piece of equipment.
ReplyDeleteI envy your maple tapping! I don't think we have the right climate for it. Please drink a cup of maple flavored coffee for me!
Thank you Leigh. The old one has been struggling for some time. Fixing it would involve splitting it and parts for it are very, very hard to find. Yes, the forecast looks like the sap will run. Bottoms up!
DeleteWe've had more birds at our feeders in the last couple of weeks than all the previous time this winter. At least it seems as if that is so. Our chickadees and nuthatches love their peanut butter feeder and when I go out to bring it in for a refill, they dive bomb me hoping it might already be full! Your "new" tractor looks much like ours and is, indeed, a very handy piece of equipment for the homestead. We've never tapped maple trees for sap but many people here do and the season is fast approaching. This year, for the first time in many winters, they'll be using snowshoes to trudge through the heavy snow cover to take care of the flow. You're so right, my favorite time of year (NOT!), mud season is fast approaching here, too!
ReplyDeleteYes. Looking forward to the spring influx of birds! Sap should run well this week, nights just at or below freezing, and days of just above.
DeleteHi Rosalea! Great news on finding a used tractor! Your husband has a great skill being able to fix and troubleshoot it. Maple coffee! I put maple syrup (the real stuff) in my coffee each morning! ☺
ReplyDeleteHe is a handy guy to have around! Looking forward to the sweet stuff.
DeleteWe have a logging company at our neighbours doing the selective cut on their plantation. The heavy equipment coming and going has turned our road to quicksand.
ReplyDeleteGreat find for y’all, on the tractor! We have only ever purchased used tractors, and so far, they have given us a ton of hours of very hard work! Happy Spring!
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