Signs of Spring

Spring arrives achingly slow in eastern Maine. While the rest of the country has long since heralded the season with blooming trees and the chartreuse colors of new foliage, we here, have been counting every minute, cheering every red bud on the maples and watching the birches s-l-o-w-l-y begin to open their buds, exposing the new leaves to the fickle elements.

Each day finds me in the garden, closely inspecting every single plant for signs that it has miraculously survived another frozen Downeast winter. With so little snow cover during the coldest part of the winter, I fully expect to lose a few precious plants. My Climbing America rose is toast, for sure.

So, as the moon sets on another frosty night, I'll head out to see what greenery is poking its head tentatively out of the chilly soil.

The Goldfinches began chirping long before daylight. They are better than any alarm clock, in fact, I cannot even remember the last time I set an alarm.

H is up and about around 4 a.m. every morning and the aroma of French Roast coffee slowly heralds another day.








This morning, as I look out the window, I can see even more maple leaves beginning to make an appearance. With today's warmer temperatures, I'm hoping we'll see some significant "popping".





We finally found a nice spot for Ms. Giddy, sitting near the front porch, she welcomes all visitors to her garden. In another month or so, she'll be surrounded by ferns, hostas and colorful impatiens