Investigation

The big day is almost here, and an investigative report is in order. Spring in Wisconsin is not easy to find. So with notebook and digicam in hand, I am off to detect signs of this elusive season.

The first stop is the end of my front yard. Looking down on the beach, I’m staring at snow ending with mountains of ice at the shore. Loud cracking and popping noises are coming from the ice piles. The 70 feet of stairs to the beach are navigable, and I head down. Caution is the watchword when venturing on ice shelves, but I manage to  see the icicles at the edge dripping their way to oblivion.

Returning back up to the driveway, I find the situation more grim. The snowbank measures 31 inches. Last year’s plowed up snow did not melt until the final week of April; I’m guessing we will tie that record this year. A walk down the road helps to revive optimism. Our neighbor’s woods is sprouting buckets on all the sugar maples. If the trees are rousing themselves from their winter dormancy, perhaps we can, too.

Across the road in the forest are more encouraging signs. Tiny green leaves are springing up between dollops of snow. The crows are talking up a storm. Patches of open water are appearing in the river.  And there is mud, lots of mud.

Last week I was working in a kindergarten class, and the teacher referred to March as “muddy March.” How lovely! When there is mud, can the robins be far behind?

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6 thoughts on “Investigation”

  1. Does you house front on a lake? I know spring is coming here because students are wearing flip flops, shorts and parkas. My in door fig tree (moved outside in June) has leaves big enough to provide privacy for Adam and Eve

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  2. Mary dear–what a lovely piece of writing!
    Very poetic and evocative! Thanks for sharing!
    xxxevie (who saw Snowdrops in a neighbor’s south-facing garden!)

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  3. Truly your blogs are so poetic they should be in a book.

    Today I saw some green on my lawn and on closer scrutiny it was Creeping Charlie. Now that is one hardy plant. It has takenover most of our lawn. I have never understood why it is so reviled. It is indominatably green and smells quite good when cut.

    Besides the sassy crows I hear the lovesick calls of Mourning doves and Cardinals…sex in the springtime.

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