Sprint to Spring

A few short weeks ago
we had snow. 

The slow creep of spring 

turned into a sprint this week. 

We've had a weird
stint of weather.

It's been in
the lower 80's all week. 

Most of the crocus
have bloomed and drooped. 

The forsythia burst 

into a batch of  thick, bright blooms. 

The bobbing daffodils 

are glowing in all their golden glory. 

The Carolina Anemone 

(a dry prairie plant) 

have taken over the front yard. 

It's now a patchy lavender carpet, 

punctuated with tufts of daffodils. 

The vinca is blooming brightly...

so are the hyacinths.

My husband
even got out the mower

and mowed a section of our yard

so that we could play croquet,

since the lawn was so tall.

The spring peepers are roaming. 

Birds are even hatching.

Insects are everywhere. We've already had three tick encounters this week. The Autumn Olives and Maples are leafing out. Soon the redbud, dogwood, and apple trees will flower. My husband has been working on getting his ancient veggie oil truck up and running, tuning and fixing up the tractor, cleaning stalls, and stringing fence. I've been spreading grass seed, hacking back the jungle, trying to adjust to the heat, and tending a houseful of sick kids.

I also finally put my foot down and forced my youngest to wear a short-sleeved shirt. It was in the upper eighties and he was a sweaty mess. He doesn't like change, and it was a substantial battle of wills. But I'll focus on the small victories.