If April showers bring May flowers…
What do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims.
Hahaha. I loved that grammar school oldie. In fact, I love a good joke anytime. (Look for me at a funeral…I’m the one laughing and crying.)
You know who else loves a good joke? Mother Nature! That woman does NOT know how to read a calendar!
Nevertheless, I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I likewise have a calendar-free way to recognize signs of Spring in Western New York. (You KNEW I’d have my own rules, right?)
Does Spring start wihen people begin wearing shorts with a parka? Nope.
With the annual Dyngus Day Parade? Nie.
Spring officially starts with a robin sighting.
Every year, no exceptions. My late mother-in-law gave me that signpost and it has been the immutable marker ever since. I start scanning the yard in February in the hopes that a wayward robin might make an early appearance.
This year, I found one on March 1st…and it was no coincidence that I saw it on the anniversary of my MIL’s passing (a little Spring sock miracle anyone?).
Once I spy a robin, I begin “leaf watch.” The native shrubs and wild grapes that grow alongside our yard are always the first to break bud. You see a little green haze at first, and a few days later masses of green leaves line the branches.
That’s when I switch into full yard surveillance…
…waiting for the maples to fill with red popcorn.
monitoring the fruit trees…
and patiently waiting to see signs of life from the two redbuds I planted last year.
Helicopter parent that I am, I start pacing the garden looking for my plants to wake up again.
Last June, I found this cheerful peony at a local garden center and purchased a small one.
I’ve been checking every day for signs of life, and so far, nothing….until YESTERDAY…out of nowhere, these pals popped out of the ground!
When the ground in winter has a long lasting snow coat, the deer are forced to eat things they would normally pass up (kind of like the way I’ll cook a bowl of spinach with pepperjack cheese if I’m REALLY hungry and we’re out of ice cream).
Tulip bulbs? They’ll dig ’em up. But daffodils are always safe…
The gardens still have a ton of leaves on the ground, but I’m too lazy I like to leave them until we have consistently warmer days (okay, above 50°) for all the helpful bugs (and fireflies) and good critters that rely on them for warmth until the warm weather really arrives.
OTHER REAL SIGNS OF SPRING IN WESTERN NEW YORK
The snowplow guy pulls the driveway stakes. It snows the next day.
MUD!! Lots of it!!
Gotta love mud. (And if you do, check out this trellis project post when we were knee deep in it!)
In addition to mud, April showers kick off our annual fitness challenge. It’s a great time to see if our knees, arms and backs still work after a winter of couch potatoing.
Does this occur at the gym? Nay, nay! This bend-and-stretch extravaganza occurs in our yard during a little April event I like to call “Pick Up Sticks.”
Sticks:
Sticks:
(Sorry…it’s debris…lots of debris.)
And even MORE sticks!!!
April showers will bring buckets of work, fresh air and accidental exercise… so that in May we can start planting lots of flowers…and in June we can sit back and enjoy this:
and this…
and this…
Which is why I love spotting that first robin every year.
It’s the bringer of hope;
the promise of sunnier, warmer days,
and the reminder that there’s something special ahead (but only after you slog through all the mud, sticks, and everything in between).
_______
“April Showers Bring May Flowers” was the prompt suggestion for this month’s Where Bloggers Live post. One member of this group (who shall remain nameless) may have missed the additional part about discussing favorite rainy day things…whomp whomp.
In any event, be sure to “spring” over and visit:
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie at OnceUponaTimeandHappilyEverAfterAgain
(Me) and
Sally at Within a World of My Own
Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes?
The second Friday of each month is when this group of bloggers link up to share their workspaces,
homes, towns… or whatever our fearless leader, the fabulous Bettye, proposes.
Make sure you visit everyone to see where the magic happens!
Spring in the frozen north is a long process of slowly unveiling hints of the warm weather to come. I enjoyed seeing how this plays out for you! The mud/dog situation is a tough one (I did get a laugh at the idea of dogs “not allowed” on white furniture!).
Ahhh, just survived 24° nights… although the robins had been out and about with their new spring feathers, I resisted the urge to plant anything but some bulbs that were forced indoors.
Em, your post was just the read i needed this week. Thank you and I.hope your weekend is muddy dog free…thankfully, we are past that stage in zone 6b. And you have a moment or two to enjoy an outdoor coffee or tea, some sun on your face, and the enjoyment of accomplishment 😉
Lastly, let me know how you find the redbuds you mentioned. I’ve not seen them in our non-big box garden centers. Currently, I have a forest pansy possibly on her last leg. She’s been glorifying a corner of our home for more than 30 years, which is long for a redbud.
Always a pleasure and thank you again, Joanne
Ah, Em! I just want to be your neighbor. I’ll come over and pick up sticks. Yes, even the willow branches. We had one, and Mike complained about the sticks every year. But, I have always loved weeping willows and sitting under them hiding from the world (yes, I did that, too). I have heard of the season of the mud in your neck of the woods. Have you heard the song, “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan? I am sure you can relate. I also go around my little bitty garden spots, checking for those little nubs of goodness to sprout. Alas and alack…the bunnies do, too! It’s always a good day when I can read one of your blog posts. I suppose I could go back and read old ones to make every day good, but I’d get nothing done!
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