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!
Hey friend, have you moved into consistent afternoon highs of 50*+ yet? Looks like you have lots of sticks and a few leaves to pick up once it does warm up. We have our neighbor’s tree trash to pick up over here. They have 2 mesquite trees that drop some kind of something every season. We are in the midst of the tiny yellow flower droppings right now. Our pool, patio, rock gardens and grass are littered with the tiny blooms. I was thinking today how I wish I had an outdoor vacuum to sweep up the stuff. Then scolded myself because I can just use a broom. At least for the droppings on the patio.
We will just get this mess cleaned up and it will be time for the trees to drop seed pods. The trees are very pretty but of the devil!!
I always enjoy seeing pictures of your lovely outdoor spaces. And have so enjoyed following along on your projects in the yard – and the house!!
Hey, had emailed you to see what day might be good for our visit but didn’t hear back. This week I hope to be mostly home. Let me know what your schedule looks like so we can catch up!!
Nothing but smooth sailing on the daytime highs for this week! We had a great first clean up over the weekend, (although the pile may have exceed the suggested size for the town pickup, haha.) Good progress, though!
I did just go waaay deep into the rabbit hole about mesquite trees so I could offer sincere empathy about the yellow buds. Some of them look like caterpillars! But either way, I suspect they are insidious and you find them EVERYWHERE. Once of our trees in the yard offers a similar looking white and pink version of that bud…but I’d have to believe that having it all over your pool area is mighty frustrating!!
Talk to you soon!
The muddy pup! LOLOLOL Too cute
I love that your sign of spring is your MIL’s little robin. So sweet. Those surprise buds are the best. I planted my vegetable garden way too early, but seeing the little spuds is so exciting.
Your garden setup is HIGHLY enviable!!! I would be beat-feeting it to get vegetables planted early, as well. Maybe you’ll get a double harvest!
Also, that muddy pup is going all in on repeat performances. That’s the gift of nearly record rain!
The muddy pup! LOLOLOL Too cute
I love that your sign of spring is your MIL’s little robin. So sweet. Those surprise buds are the best. I planted my vegetable garden way too early, but seeing the little spuds is so exciting.
Happy Spring 😊 MY dear. Mom always alerted us to the first Robin! Ps just got back from a 4 day vacation in the hospital! Flu to pneumonia to hospital. Home again with oxygen! Feeling better!
Vee
Oh, Vee!! So sorry to hear that! Hospital for four days also means you were PLENTY sick for multi days before!
I’m so glad you are feeling better, but I have no doubt that you endured a scary uncomfortable ride.
Happy you are home with your cowboy, who is no doubt taking great care of you (and that he escaped the flu himself!).
🤞🏻for healthier days ahead!
Thank you so much Em! Could have been worse! 😏😏
Vee 😘
A VERY scary thought, indeed!!!
Is there a prize for the person who picks up more sticks??
I can’t believe Allie gets that muddy… Piper is not one to play in any kind of water.
Xoxo
Jodie
First prize = better fitness. Last prize is chest pain (a little dark humor that Mr and I share.)
Some dogs are just not water dogs. Roland is like Piper. No way, no how!
Allie LOVES water…she will hunker down in one of the giant yard puddles and soak it all up. And rolling in mud is an acceptable alternative (for one of us).
Robins are the first sign of spring! Yes! That’s the knowledge I grew up with too and I’m sticking with it…although I don’t recall seeing any in Korea (or the rest of Asia). I think the Asian robins don’t all look like “our” robins, with the red breast.
I miss having animals. I don’t miss having muddy animals.
Have you ever had your yard on a garden tour? It’s all so lovely..
xoxo Bettye
https://fashionschlub.com
I wonder what bird Koreans look for instead? Okay, just felt compelled to go search that, and it looks like they celebrate the barn swallow (jebi) and mark March 3 (on whatever a lunar calendar is) as the official day they return to Korea from their wintering grounds. Interesting!
Yeah…I can absolutely see you missing animals! You’ve had so many. I wonder: if you picked up a kitten as a souvenir, would be hard to travel with it. Just wondering, not suggesting, haha). Been looking at Pomeranians lately and there are a LOT that are imported here from Korea… Like a whole industry of teacup teddybear faced puppies. I’m not getting one, just found it very intriguing (although they are GORGEOUS!)
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!).
Yeah…if the covers are off, the furniture doesn’t stay white for long!! With all the furniture covers around, it looks like the family room is either being painted…or unused (like in the haunted house movies, haha).
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
I don’t know why, but I’m fairly sure remember seeing a photo of your GORGEOUS tree bedecked in purple blooms! I have always loved seeing the stunning spring blooms on any kind of redbud (especially when paired with Forsythia)…and I am annoyed with myself for all the years of not picking up a few for $15 at the end of season sales. So many years of lost growth while waiting for a more mature tree. I did see some flamethrowers in full bloom, and they were really unusual. I’ll keep you posted!
We had LOTS of cleanup satisfaction this weekend…and I have a several more weekends of satisfaction ahead… I’m only being a little facetious. I often have the dread of not wanting to get off the sofa, but then I often enjoy it so much I don’t want to come inside. So, yes, despite my sarcasm, it IS VERY satisfying!
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!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Would you be mine, could you be mine, PLEASE won’t you be, my neighbor?!! (Thank you, Mr. Rogers)
You would be the perfect neighbor, Marsha…but if we can’t be neighbors, I will still invite you for Stick Season!…Speaking of which, I actually HAVE heard of Noah Kahan’s Stick Season. In fact, I bought a vinyl copy of that very album as a gift for my son. In full disclosure, though, I never heard the song and so your comment sent me to Spotify, where I finally listened to it and read about Kahan’s home of Vermont and the bleak season he was describing.
I think here in WNY, it gets almost unbearbly gray and brown outside JUST before everything comes back to life again. But once those leaves start to come back…everyone get’s pretty excited for the glorious days ahead (give or take a couple of snowprises).
PS… those bunnies can be insatiable!!!