Signs of Spring

I don’t know what it is with me this year, but I’ve totally fallen in love with spring!

Usually my preference is for fall, but this year the weather has been so sweet in NC. We’ve had some gorgeous warm days perfect for getting out in the yard, relaxing, and soaking in a bit of vitamin D.

Today was so nice Josh, James, and I went on a tromp through the “forest” as James calls it. It’s really just our overgrown backyard that I hope to one day landscape into something other than a snake and poison ivy den. So far it’s too early for either snakes or poison ivy to be growing so we wandered around looking for Josh’s lost chicken Regatta.

She was a cute little fluffy black chicken that laid the sweetest tiny eggs. Unfortunately she seems to have flown the coop, possibly picked off by a hawk, but then again she may wander back to the flock in a few days as though she was just taking a vacation.

We’re seeing many signs of spring in the yard and gardens. My crocus bulbs planted the year we moved in are still going strong.

I love bulb flowers. You do the work one year and get to enjoy them forever so long as the bulbs get enough nutrients to multiply. The daffodils are also getting started, but none have opened so far.

The yard isn’t looking as well as I expected this year. We did a lot of work to it last summer with fertilizer and weed and feed and lots of other stuff, but still the most dominate thing we manage to grow is weeds.

Still, the weeds are growing that beautiful bright green we haven’t seen in several months! I’d certainly rather they be there than nothing at all.

Our willow is also leafing out. Josh and I were watching it and last Thursday morning it was still bare, but by the afternoon as we left to get James from school, it was covered with these little green buds. Mother nature can move fast when she’s in the mood!

I really enjoyed getting out in the yard and checking everything out today. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in my gardens or taken stock of what I’d like to do with them this year.

Last year I was just too crazy busy to do anything other than quilt and build the business, and for many reasons I just didn’t want to be outside. This year things are just as crazy, but I really want to be out enjoying this beautiful weather and playing with James.

Having him turn 4 this week reminded me of just how fast his childhood is going to fly by, and unless I’m here and paying attention, I’m going to miss it.

So I’m heading back out to the front yard to start planning a project we can work on together. I think James is definitely old enough to help me pull weeds and plant flowers. It’s high time the kid got a little dirty!

Let’s go quilt (or play in the dirt)!

Leah Day