The Coming of Spring

Spring is coming in slow and steady. Which is actually quite nice. A gentle melt does less damage. :)

Faith has been looking forward to planting her seeds ever since we finished harvesting last fall, so  she tried starting early seeds this year in Milk Jugs! ... but there will be more details on that later.

The first "meltage" began around the trees, making neat little rings around their trunks.

The moss started showing in the bog, the tussocks peeking up through the ice and snow that was loosening it's grip on the world.

Rubber Boots became a necessity as the spring continued to encroach on us.

The duckies were especially thrilled, but not content with their mud puddles, they enjoyed using their water dishes as bath tubs!! :)

Pretty soon there was enough bare ground to let the poultry wander outside of their enclosures, both Ducks and Chickens.

Now I know I'm going to have a hard time convincing you this is a Chicken. I know... half the time I think he is a Rabbit myself. But yes indeed this is a Rooster of the Silkie variety of Chickens... he goes by the names of: "Little Blue Dragon", "The guy in grey sweatpants", "Mr. Rabbit" or sometimes... "Rocky Balboa" (and yes that is an inside joke that I'm not going to explain) 

As the warmth continued and the marsh and bog came into view in all it's mysterious beauty, we found that there are SO many different kinds of moss growing in and around our acre and a half of wetland.

The tussocks that rise out of the water are each covered with these varieties of moss. Some of the "islands" have trees sprouting out of the spongy peat moss.

Another sign of spring are some lovely apple blossoms that are blooming... indoors :) 

We brought in some of the trimmings from the pruning we did, stuck them in a jar of water, and they leafed, budded and bloomed. Sometimes in life, the sharp, hard, cutting back that God gives us, can produce the most beautiful, fragrant flowers.

~Chs