Not Your Average Spring Chicken

Each spring, one moment seems to stand out from the rest and shout, "It's here! Spring is here!"

Sometimes that moment occurs when I'm walking to my car in the infant warmth, the sun kissing my head and arms. I stand in that moment, arms outstretched, eyes closed, and head tilted back to catch the sun's glorious rays on my face.

Sometimes that moment is the first butterfly that flits past, stretching a quick moment into an eternity on an updraft. My eyes follow the flutterby as it circles me, and I slowly stretch out my hand, hoping it will casually land on my palm, tentacles lightly tickling, just as a butterfly did once at the Butterfly House in St. Louis.

Today, that moment was holding three chicks, one at a time, feeling their tiny claws curl into my palm, touching their warm, soft, downy feathers, hearing their delighted chirping: "It's here! Spring is here!"

In that moment, my heart soared. It is now past the spring date on the calendar, but I never have judged spring by date. But today, in that moment, spring made its appearance.

Spring Is Here (I Think . . . )

I am tired of playing hide and seek with Spring; I am ready to get my hands dirty, break up clods of slightly damp soil and breathe in the pleasant, earthy aroma. I want to pull weeds, plant seeds, and watch my food grow.

Of course, I have to decide where to plant the garden and actually till the plot before all the fun begins.

My fiance and I moved into a house last fall, and we have a 2-acre lot. The problem is in deciding where to locate the garden. Much of the yard is off-limits because it is either a retaining pond where cattails have taken over, or it is too-wet land that runs along and near the creek on the side of our property. But that still leaves a good amount of space for a garden.

It doesn't help that it has been raining a lot lately, which has kept me from breaking the tiller out. In fact, David got the tiller out this evening in anticipation of my using it tomorrow, since it is supposed to be a beautiful day. But suddenly, it looks like we may have a storm this evening, so the tiller is under porch cover, just in case.

Don't get me wrong--all gardeners appreciate the rain. After all, the recent rains have certainly brought beauty out of hiding; the jonquils are blooming and the trees are blossoming. Rain early on helps set the stage for a good farming season. It nourishes the grass and the microbes and other soil critters that are important for soil health.

But would a few days' break hurt? Just so I can get my garden started? Pleeeeaaaaaase?

How far are YOU in your gardening endeavors?

It's Spring...No, It's Winter...No, It's Spring...No, It's Winter...

Dear Mother Nature,

I know "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature," but really--who's fooling whom? Haven't you read the The Old Farmer's Almanac, which says that April 17 is the last frost date for the Springfield, Illinois area and April 22 for the Chicago, Illinois area? Please--give our poor little peas and beans and other early spring crops a break!

Early this morning, my Forecastfox widget alerted me with a big, ugly red stop sign that we had a severe weather alert for Decatur, Illinois. According to Accuweather.com, a

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM CDT TUESDAY...

HIGH PRESSURE FROM CANADA WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS BY TUESDAY MORNING...WHICH WILL PRODUCE A DECREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND WINDS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW THE FREEZING MARK AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR TUESDAY MORNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL SENSITIVE VEGETATION WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED OR BROUGHT INSIDE.

Argh! I have been so good at getting seedlings started, getting plants in the ground, taking care of them, and now this! A gardener's nightmare.

I dug through my old fabric and old sheets and scrounged as many scraps and old linens as possible to cover the beans and peas. I draped them over the fences to try to keep out the worst of the weather, but we're also supposed to have freezing rain, so I'm not sure how effective they'll be. I may have to start all over. I also covered up the few tulips I had sprouting in a nearby mess of branches and leaves.

C'mon, Mother Nature, give a poor eco-friendly girl a break! Bring on Spring!