Spring?

I looked out the window this morning and saw a couple inches of white stuff blanketing everything. Ah...spring in Illinois! It's days like these that makes my southern heart depressed. So, with that feeling overwhelming me, I got up and got dressed and trudged out into the white oblivion.

Collecting sap in the snow is okay, especially when it is a little warm. Today wasn't very warm but it was pretty anyway. The worst part is having to chip ice out of the bucket in order to pour the sap out...then getting my gloves wet. My nose was running with the cold and I refrained from wiping it on my sleeve. Not because my Mama told me not to do that as it is nasty, but because I was afraid of my nose freezing to my sleeve.

We collected about 150 gallons of sap today. Another couple of days of boiling to go. If the weather warms up a little it might run again and give us another day of collecting. We have some helpers coming on Tuesday so we hope to have something fun for them to do. But, we just have to see what Mother Nature provides.

Now we are back inside in the warmth, tea brewing and wool socks on my feet. Marty, who is still blowing his nose and coughing from his cold, is downstairs planting tomatoes in flats. I look at my little cacti in the window sill and try to be patient for warmth outside. It is hard sometimes.

view from the window this morn

Still NO Snow

   Today the weather is downright balmy...maybe in the 50's. Yesterday I spent all afternoon with no coat on, just in my shirt sleeves, cleaning up my picket garden area. It just seems so strange! The first of January still and 50's! Will we have a syrup season? 

   It seems that most people I know aren’t too happy about getting snow this time of year. I keep hearing the words, “well, at least we don’t have any snow”. In some ways I agree. It is a real pain in the butt to have to trudge thru drifts of a foot or more in the woods, carrying firewood to a cart, hoping all the time that the tractor (or me) doesn’t get stuck.

   On the other hand…I look at the beautiful pictures of last year…snowy, blue, peaceful. Snow can be nice. It isn’t as bad as the ice storms or the below freezing weather. It blankets the ground, protecting the plants from the hard freezes. It also provides moisture.

   And while some would say, “yes, but we could use some rain for moisture”. Hm. For me I think trudging thru MUD ankle deep is worse than snow that deep. The snow is a little easier to walk in. I’ve lost boots in mud that deep, but never in snow.

   Besides, when it is so nice out then I have to keep working outside. Sometimes it is nice to have that wintery break...otherwise it is a VERY long year. I like sitting inside by the fire, reading or knitting, or looking at seed catalogues...knowing I have a short couple of weeks to enjoy some down time. 

 

   So, to ease the hearts of those who are still waiting for the wintery wonderland (me included)…here’s some pics from last year.