Spring

Ten days ago the Crocuses and Reticule Irises were just sprouting.

A bit of welcome color

Then we got a Grackle invasion

Like something out of a Hitchcock movie

Then we got hit with three inches of wet sloppy snow, that stuck around for about three days.

After that cleared out I managed to remove about 5 wheelbarrows full of road sand from the lawn using the leaf blower. And used the sand to fill out the low wet spots behind the barn.

Between the sporadic sunshine, above freezing temps and a few rain showers the grass is slowly turning green again.

Flowers are blooming

Miniature Daffodils have come up

Crocuses . . . .

Are doing their thing

Even the regular Daffodils are in bloom

The old Crab-apple tree made it through another winter, though it is quite shaky and I fear a good blow will take it down.

The old fence will need some repairs and another coat of stain this year.  Six foot tall times 300 lineal feet = 1800 square feet of area times two, about 12 gallons assuming 300 square feet of coverage per gallon?

Spring, could it really be?

Reticule Irises seem to think it is

Both varieties

In the last 12 days we have gone from this nasty mess

To this

The back lawn is almost all bare and the grass has just started to make some green again

Except for one patch

A Red-Bellied Woodpecker even showed up . . . three of them actually

Which is a bit surprising

As according to the book Maine is beyond its northern boundaries.

Mr Chipmunk even came out of hibernation

And Mr Cardinal paid us a visit as well

We even had our first outdoor grilling for the season

And a fresh loaf of bread for breakfast on Easter Sunday