Two weeks ago, I made the first snow-free circumnavigation of the house. It was a modest expedition, to be sure, but its completion was an important box to check in the development of Spring. The snow is almost gone from the yard, but it lingers in the sheltered area under the branches of one of the larger spruce trees and in the partially shaded area adjacent to the rocks surrounding the flower garden.
To take temperature measurements of the biomeiler, I use an ice water bath for the reference junction. Throughout the winter, I conveniently scooped snow from the supply delivered to the area near the back porch. Unfortunately, that supply has run out. The remaining snow near the house has turned mostly to ice.
So, for the last set of measurements, I had to collect snow from the pile under the spruce tree by the road edge. I really should start a tray of ice cubes in preparation for the next set of measurements.
Today, I went for a walk around the road edges of the house lot and garden lot. The snowplow drivers can be relied upon to bring me a significant amount of trash. My lots are the only ones in the area that have hedges. Apparently, that means snow from the road should be pushed onto my hedges instead of into the numerous open yards in the vicinity. Using my grabber tool, I was able to collect enough trash from those perimeters to fill a 50-lb-size feed bag. Collecting the winter trash is another box to check.
The ground is firming up. Most ditches and puddles have dried, indicating that the near-surface depths of the ground have thawed enough for drainage. Check.
Tree buds are greening up, but haven’t opened, yet. The irises have begun leafing and the willows are loaded with fuzzy catkins. That bodes well for the approach of spring.
Tomorrow, I will swap the snow tires for summer tires on the last of the vehicles. It may trigger some cold weather, it would be brief and probably the last freezing temperatures of the season. I think that after the tire change box has been checked spring will be inevitable!
Kudos for picking up so very much trash along your roadside. I know folks who brag about letting the winds that blow relocate their leaves and trash into a neighbor’s yard!