Fiddleheads and blushing apple blossom buds

Hey everyone!

I just took a walk around the farm and I have to report on some of the newest spring happenings. The forest floor is a veritable carpet of tiny pale purple violas, baby ferns and tree seedlings, with a few early wildflowers thrown in for good measure. The lemon-lime of the new leaf growth on the birches provides strong contrast for the rust-red of the elms. Bald eagles are back, wafting on warm currents above us in the wild space around our pastures - in fact, last week Jay and I watched one standing on the bank of the Red Cedar, taking his fill of the river. One of the best things about April here is the arrival of the peepers - tiny frogs no bigger than your thumbnail that boast the most appealing chorus of voices; we get our own private concerts at night now as we sit on our deck and watch the sun float beneath the vast, ever-changing treeline. I scared up three or four white tailed deer enjoying some newly sprouting flora in the woods above, and even spotted an especially brave brown bunny making his way through the underbrush. Of course, I've already pulled two ticks out of Colby's sensitive pink hide, so it's only a matter of time 'til the mosquitoes show up...

We've done lots of planting so far, with Chris getting tons of the early vegetables going outside. Jay put some potato eyes in the ground and strung up wire for his hops and Becca and I have been on flower duty, putting in nasturtium seeds, butterfly weed and some native grasses so far, with clematis, sunflowers, milkweed, coreopsis, coneflower, and other wild perennials to come. Herb, tomato, onion, strawberries and other seedlings are growing in boxes inside, just waiting for their turn in the sun.

It's been a great week here. The warm temperatures and sense of outdoor accomplishment has made the farm chores feel very un-chore-ish, and the pervasive good mood on the farm is palpable. I've been back on the horses again, and Ellis even came up riding for a spell! And LOVED it! There are, of course, photos - I'm hoping we can get those posted at some point soon. Those and some of Ellis sucking on a beer bottle.

In other late-breaking news, Jay and I have been locked in a psychological battle with a mouse in the wall. This is clearly an anal-retentive mouse with an important nocturnal schedule, as every morning at 4 a.m. he does some random, unreasonably loud chewing and scratching from inside the wall while our worthless felines either a)observe groggily from the bed or b)jump off the bed in disgust to find a quieter place to sleep. Between the night mouse and the ladybugs, the country living isn't always as peaceful as it's cracked up to be, I tell ya.

Alright, time to wrap it up, darlings. Thelonious is saying hello too as I speak, with a little elbow rub to the lower uterus.

Love and brightly colored tulips to all!

Charis