We have dirt !!

The snow has been melting for 4 glorious days, finally , after countless snowstorms, roof shovelings and driveway plowings. A winter we'd all like to forget. Four days ago there was no sign of this post for the electric fence.

I got quite excited when its tip appeared out of the snow and must have checked it's progress through the window a dozen times a day. One of those "light at the end of the tunnel" moments. So the whole mess has dropped about 9 inches, with anywhere from 2 feet to 4 feet to go.

This was March 8th of 2010, much more civilized, with nary a speck of snow in sight. The sun has done it's best around the coop and today the girls were estatic to find real dirt to scratch in, indulging in some serious group dust bathing.
I'm watching them quite closely because some predator has been coming around at night and has shredded the fly screen on the coop window, trying to get in at the chicken dinners.

Thing One is looking out at me taking the photo of the clawed up screen.

A lovely day to putter in the greenhouse, listening to the blessed sound of snow water dripping.

Signs of SPRING!

Sign # 1 : The urge to tackle really awful renovation projects. Here I am just a blur of scraping, scraping, trying to get that 10 year old wallpaper off. Someone please render me unconcious if I ever think glue + wallpaper border again.

The sign of a very true friend...one who will help you strip wallpaper , without being paid. I put this on to cover the previous owners horrendous green paint. Now I can't stand the busyness...there's such a LOT of it ...sigh.

Sign #2: Too much solar heat in the greenhouse. Time to open those summer vents at the top of the wall.

sign #3 : Other half doing yardwork. A lot of kindling blows down each winter off the big linden trees.

sign #4 : Happy hens who want to be outdoors pecking and scratching all day long now that the ground is all bare. Fancy, (the rooster at the back) one of last summer's chicks, has grown up to be such a handsome fellow.

sign # 5 Seedlings popping up, mmmmmm the earth smells so good!

Rising Tide, St Martins

I've finished this acrylic painting of a pair of our harbor's lobster boats amid a rising tide of concerns about the whole east coast lobster industry. Prices for the catch are so depressed with the recession that many fishers feel it's hardly worth the cost of the diesel fuel to go out. According to the news hundreds of boat helpers wont be called up for the coming season, in order to cut costs. Processers still have huge inventories of frozen lobster from last season so a worthwhile price for the fishermen doesnt seem likely.

On a brighter note, this should be the week we say goodbye to the lingering snow patches, with lots of rain and mild temperatures in the forecast. My sunny studio windows are crowded with seeds I planted today. They'll move to the greenhouse when the nights arent so cold.

Seeds look so insignificant but by midsummer , how amazing to get SOOOO much good food out of almost nothing.
Getting on with seasonal chores, the plastic door and roof covering are back on the greenhouse. I go in and with the sun shining I can pretend it's summer.

The winter storms played havoc with the birdhouses, now they're safely screwed into place awaiting tenants. Song sparrows are everywhere today, what is sweeter than their springtime melodies?