Hello there, Rural Sprout Readers,
How are you? Was it a good week in your neck of the woods? How was the weather out your way?
We’ve had some wild snow squalls. The kind where you look out your window to see the sun, and moments later, it’s as though someone turned out the light, and it’s a wall of sideways snow.
Even without the snow, we’ve had the kind of wind that doesn’t care how thick your jacket is; it’s coming inside anyway. It’s been good tea drinking weather. My sweetie and I got outside for a bit Saturday, and after a brisk walk around town, decided we were heroic enough for one day before heading back inside.
And with this long last stretch of winter comes lethargy. It’s been the kind of weather where you stand in the doorway of a room, a hand on your hip, and your mug in the other hand, and you look around and think, “Hmm, I should dust in here.” And you sip your tea, looking at all the flat surfaces that need to be wiped down.
Then you turn around and go back to your book and that snug chair you left.
I keep bumping into folks who all feel the same; we’re all a bit disoriented by this time of year. The hours seem to spin out into this unfulfilled promise of spring and change. And then tomorrow comes, and it’s more gray skies and another couple of inches of snow on the way.
But she’s coming; I saw her drive into town this week.
If you know what to look for, she’s already here, full of bustle and energy, wrestling with Old Man Winter, who doesn’t know the party ended an hour ago and is still busy blowing himself out.
Spring is moving about, picking up the empty glasses and putting them in the sink will he carries on in the background. She takes his empty glass from his hand, hands him his scarf and coat and pushes him to the door. “Thank you, dear, it’s been a lovely visit, but I have a busy day tomorrow. You text me when you get home. Yes, we’ll have to do this again soon.”
Oh, I’m sure he’ll get a few more, “Oh did I tell you"s and “Oh, before I forget"s in before he’s truly on his way.
But the signs are there. Just go out and look. I checked in on my potted black current bush the other day and was pleased to see swollen rosy-cheeked buds climbing up and down the branches. When I was walking down by the creek, I could see more mud than snow for the first time in weeks.
And of course, there’s the marker I look for every year. It’s the one sign that tells me assuredly that Spring has recently arrived in town, even though we haven’t seen her yet.
When these black and white friends wake up, I know she’s here for certain.
Now, I’m one of those folks that sleep with their window open all winter long; just an inch or two. These old Victorian buildings get so stuffy otherwise. And the other morning, I woke to the smell of skunk in my nose.
Maybe not the greatest way to wake up, but it certainly put a smile on my face. It meant that some poor, half-asleep creature was stumbling around downtown after a long winter's nap and was most likely spooked by one of the cats or some poor Joe out walking the dog late at night.
Later the same day, on my way home from picking up groceries, a skunk waddled out into the road in front of my car. I hit the brakes, and this bleary-eyed friend kept right on going, probably muttering under his breath. And, unfortunately, I saw one on the side of the road who wasn’t so lucky.
It’s like they all have the same alarm clock. And if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.
She’s still unpacking her bags and politely getting Old Man Winter moving on his way. We all know Spring, she likes to make an entrance, so I imagine she’s waiting for the perfect moment before exploding up the hillsides wearing redbud blossoms from head to toe and sprays of hyacinth on a backdrop of brown and green.
And no doubt she’ll step out in all her finery to the soundtrack of every tiny frog, happy to realize it has survived the winter and every bird that’s come back to make a nest.
Oh yes, she’s in town. I saw her check in to the B&B up the street. You just wait, you’ll see her soon.
She's already got us in a flurry getting new gardening content ready.
How To Propagate Pothos for Free Plants
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Learn to easily propagate pothos. These beautiful houseplants can be propagated through stem cuttings and rooted in either water or soil.
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How to Get Rid of Ants in the House: 8 Ways that Work
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If you find ants in your house, don't panic. Here are 8 ways to get rid of ants in your home that actually work.
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12 Corn Companion Plants & 4 That Should Be Nowhere Near
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Get the most from your garden with companion planting. Next in our companion planting series: corn companion plants.
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How To Trick Your Jade Plant Leaves To Turn Red
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If you've got a jade plant, you need the secret houseplant trick taking social media by storm - learn how to turn jade plant leaves red!
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5 Ways To Get Rid Of Mice In Your House (& 8 Ways That Don’t Work)
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No one enjoys unexpected houseguests, especially those of the rodent variety. Here’s what you need to get rid of mice out of your house.
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That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers.
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