Despite the frigid temperatures, I am unable to deny Spring finally seems to have decided to arrive, and stay.  There was limited evidence the season had sprung upon us, like an early crocus peaking through a white capped bank of snow that refused to melt, however I was beginning to think we were going to go straight from winter to fall.  It didn’t help that May long weekend, which I call “Gardening Long Weekend” saw my friends posting pictures of snowfall from Kamloops all the way to parts of Saskatchewan and beyond.  We had a schmear of the white stuff yet it was enough to help me decide NOT to go shopping for bedding plants quite yet.  Then the wind came, and because there’s  nothing more unpredictable than Mother Nature when she blows a gasket, leaving me with a false sense of security, I shrugged my shoulders and thought nothing of it.  I have a little green house just outside my back door.  I’ve weighed down the bottom of it and I’ve been fairly aggressive in handling it, pushing against it and testing to see how far I could go before it would collapse, fall over or otherwise cause damage to the precious cargo stored inside.  Nothing I did made me think my plants were threatened and I felt quite secure in my own mind that I could move the plants I’d purchased into my greenhouse.  I had tomatoes and cucumbers I’d planted from a kit, which I shared with you a couple of weeks ago.  But I also had some peppers and wave petunias as well.  Oh, have you already noted I’m writing in past tense?  The days were warm and sunny, after it finally stopped snowing, and my plants were adjusting to their new home, albeit not exactly thriving but, they weren’t throwing themselves out of their pots either.  I felt quite confident that another week in the green house and I’d be planting them in their permanent homes.  My Mom came and found me.  “Your little greenhouse on the deck…” she began.  I nodded my head, looking out the window, and noted the trees dipping and dancing as the wind whistled through the bare branches just beginning to sprout leaf buds.  “I think it’ll be okay,” I said,  “I have the zipper open a bit so wind will go through it and not create a balloon of air and I have some rocks, an old heavy grill and a brick on the bottom so it should be secure.”  My Mom listened then finished her sentence, “the wind just picked it up and threw it onto the ground.  Everything is destroyed.”  Well played, Mother Nature, well played.  You got me.  

A friend has given me some sprouted potatoes and she has a couple Saskatoon bushes and cabbage plants for me.  I have some potatoes I’ve sprouted and my rhubarb is coming up quite nicely.  I seem to have lost more of my raspberry patch to winter kill and I soon may only have peach coloured raspberries and no red ones … but that might be okay as this could be the extent of my garden this year.  I’m sure my discouragement will pass soon enough and I’ll buy tomatoes and cucumbers.  I’ve always believed any idiot could grow lettuce, dill and radishes however every crop I plant, fails - so there goes my idiot theory.   Rather than focus on the negative I’d prefer to look at the positive and build from that.  

The Lady’s Slipper, lilies, day lilies, apple tree and Cherry tree have all made it through winter and show signs of life.  The homeless cat seeking sanctuary in one of the sheds located in my back yard survived the winter and appears to be male as there’s no sign of kittens, thank goodness!  The robins nesting in my front yard have successfully hatched their family and I can hear baby sparrows calling hungrily to their parents from the Clematis, outside my bedroom window.  They start chirping for food at about five in the morning and they don’t seem to stop demanding until well after nine in the evening.  And once in a while I hear them chirping later than that.  I think if I were their parents I’d be about ready to boot those little “angels” out of the nest and let them have a taste of adulting so I could rest.

Although I haven’t seen them, I’ve heard hummingbirds bickering in the front yard where I have several feeders set up.  My eldest twin tells me he’s seen “dragonflies” at the feeders but I’ve not seen them and I know he’s misidentifying the birds for the insect.  I’m actually looking forward to having dragonflies in our yard.  Each year they visit me, landing on me and letting me handle them.  I’m always excited to see them.  And I’m looking forward to adding to my earthworm garden in both my raised gardens and my compost.  I’ve discovered that earthworms enjoy living near the roots of dandelions so when I dig up the roots, I dig a generous hole so I can sort through the soil and harvest worms too.  I’m anticipating the summer rain that will drench the earth with water, forcing the worms to surface for air.  Then my children and I can go earthworm picking - it’s always a fun experience since we compete with the robins to see who will gather the juiciest worms!

Although I haven’t seen crocus’ in person, friends have been posting wild and tame flowers as they’re out and about enjoying outdoor activities and hiking.  And, as I check the labels and expiration dates on the sunscreen and insect repellants, I’m aware that even though we don’t have heat warnings like Ontario has been experiencing this past week, it’s still important to protect the skin of my children and myself before going outside.  Sunglasses and hats with a wide brim aren’t a bad idea either.  The way my boys play/fight/scream then get along again, I’m thinking I should do my neighbours a favour and send them all a set of ear plugs.  But then as I prepared dinner this afternoon with my kitchen window cracked open, I could hear children shrieking in their play just up the street.  During the day I can hear the play of the children at the local school and so, when I hear my boys, I don’t feel so bad.  I know this phase will pass and soon their words will replace their cries of displeasure.  It can be stressful on my nerves sometimes but, as long as they aren’t hurting one another, I’d rather not interfere in their disagreements and I allow them to resolve their differences without me hovering, ready to “fix” things for them.  This past week my boys have been displaying affection towards each other in a way that surprises me.  Upon waking up, as soon as they see each other, they wrap their arms around each other in deep, heartfelt hugs.  Or they’ll just randomly reach out and squeeze a hand or foot of their sibling, make eye contact and smile, then continue doing whatever activity they were doing.  I guess I became used to the disagreements so allowing them to grow and mature into this new stage of peace and understanding between them has me feeling both grateful and fascinated.  I’m wondering if I should be documenting it on video just to prove this stage existed between all of them but I’m half afraid if I do, the truce will be over!

Other signs of spring is the abundance of wildlife.  Even in the city it’s not uncommon to be seeing fox, coyote, prairie chickens, skunks, baby rabbits and squirrels out and about. All of these signs that Spring has sprung really lifts the cockles of my heart and has me looking forward to summer and the wonders of that season just ahead.  I hope you’re enjoying the signs of spring in your area and you’re finding reasons to be outside enjoying the weather, even on the coldest and windiest of spring days … at least we’re not knee deep in snow!

Take care and have a great week everyone.