Snowing and blowing....Oh, March!!!

March 1, 2025

March is trying to come in like a lion. After a thaw, which settled the snow a bit, and melted out bare patches on the driveway, but iced the rest, the temperature has dropped back down to substantially below the freezing mark. Snow started falling last night and this morning it is going by the windows somewhat horizontally, from the north. We have accumulated a few inches, although the exact amount is hard to tell, as the wind has been gusting.

Seed orders are all sent, and now I'll be watching the mailbox. Yesterday I filled some cell packs with starting mix, ready for planting, and did plant a small container with lavender seeds, as they take forever to germinate. 

I've shovelled the snow off of the lids of the hot frames, preparatory to doing some winter sowing of onion seeds, once my seeds arrive.

The days are longer, the sun is stronger, there is that "Je ne sais quoi" in the air that lightens the spirits and heralds the start of a new season, especially on a sunny, blue sky day, when one can imagine one smells the scent of sap rising in the maple trees. Soon, but not quite yet!

Solar radiation is being absorbed by leaves and tree detritus, and they are melting into the surface of the snow, Mother Nature's collage.

Inspired by The Furry Gnome,  seasonsinthevalley.blogspot.com/   who is posting pictures from the past, I am posting some writing I did last summer, in the 'more or less' journal I keep for future reference. 

When one is surrounded by a white world, one kind of forgets how things were, and will be again, as the seasons change. 

Back in May of 2024:

Woke up a little early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so was downstairs between 4 and 4:30. Got the fire started. Although the temperature was comfy in here, it had rained off and on most of yesterday, so just felt it would be nice, and the outside temperature was 5C (41F). Shortly after setting a match to the makings, a Whip-poor-will started up, right outside, to the west. I carefully opened a window and listened, then got a flashlight and crept out onto the verandah. There were two birds, right on the driveway beside the lilac bush. I put the flashlight beam on them and it didn't phase them at all. Two eyes glowed in the light, one a foot or two away from the other. They must have been sitting sideways to me. One of the eyes slowly shut and reopened a couple of times. There was a flurry of wings, moving dark shadows...then silence. Shortly after, they started up again, this time echoing off of the Battery House like they were right beside it. I went out the back door to try and see them, but no luck. Meanwhile, the sky was rapidly lightening, the Robins, Wood Thrushes and White Throats were tuning up.

Then, early in July...still Whip-poor-wills. 

The Whip-poor-will has us programmed to awake between 4 and 4:30. This morning he was right beside the lilac bush on the driveway again, and as hard as I tried to peer into the dimness, I could not see him. One can hear the 'chuck' he starts each section of his song with. I watched and watched at a break in his repertoire, knowing he would fly. Darned if I saw anything, then he started up again, further to the front of the yard.  

Later with morning coffee:  

We are sitting out on the verandah and listening to my birds. The Wood Thrush is first awake, then the Hermit Thrush. Veery is close behind, and then a Swainson's Thrush, which we don't hear too often. Robin is next, then Chestnut sided warbler, then the other regulars start up in no particular order. Chipping Sparrow, (who is very vocal this AM), Red-eyed vireo, American Redstart, Song sparrow etc. etc. Hummy is humming around in the flowers that are blooming in the BBH bed out front. 

Yep....spring is on the way, if March slides along as fast as February has, the 20th will be here lickety-split! Monarchs will already be starting their journey north.....