Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Spring In January

Spring seems to be springing extra early this year. I would tell you it was ushered in by the first Robin of Spring but our Robins never flew off, instead they opted to lazily sit in large groups in my back yard while I was camera-less and unable to document their flocking. Instead, it was heralded in by the tulips and honey bees.




Now being from the great white North, this entire space between October and now has felt incredibly off to me. First of all, it's only dropped below 40* two, maybe three, times during the day. I haven't fallen into a state of Seasonal Affective Disorder or a state of deep introspection. Maybe there's been a bit of writer's block, artist block and a few unmotivated days of couch potato-ism, but I'm chalking that up to working 45+ hour weeks strangling the life from my bones. There hasn't been a single snowflake, nor real ice and while there has been frost on my car a few mornings, I haven't had to break out anything heavier than my hoody. My poor wool coat is sitting in the closet sighing sadly as I'm outside weeding the gardens.



Gloves? Who needs stinkin' gloves.


With the lack of deep freezes and it being too dark or chilly when I get home to weed, the vetch, dandelions, crab grasses, etc never died off during the winter and have more or less taken over my back garden. Luckily, it's been gorgeous and I've gotten out twice this week to begin to pluck them away from my strawberries, crocus, roses, sages and lavenders.

With the trees budding, the bees buzzing and the temperature rising, I've been perusing seed catalogs and ordering things for the vegetable garden. We'll be expanding it a wee bit this year, adding another bed and several large ceramic pots to fill in gaps between beds which I plan to fill with herbs and bee attracting flowers. We'll be replacing the musty old mulch with a thick layer of gravel to prevent the return of the great weed takeover and eliminate the moist nastiness that mosquitoes seemed to love last year, as well as building a much more sturdy fence. I plan to actually get some beans this year and not let the rabbits eat all of them.

Still with all this Spring in the air and the fever of it all dancing in my brain, I'm still a bit weirded out that it's only January. I'm a bit weirded out that my birthday will be here in 16 days and it will possibly be classified as a Spring birthday! Not that I'm complaining mind you, I've always hated having a winter birthday since Momma Nature just loves to give me lots of snow every year, but it's definitely taking some getting used to.

P.S. All those extra hours at work were actually good for something (if not my sanity or art). Those photos, right up there? Those were taken with my shiny, new to me camera that I ordered two weeks ago. It feels so good to have one again, I felt like a big part of me was missing the past few months. :)

P.P.S. I'm sad to say, with all that's been going on, I won't be hosting the February Fairies party this year. Perhaps, when things calm down a bit, I can host it in a different month.

12 comments:

  1. Oh, I love Spring flowers, even if they are a little early…It's always perpetual Summer or Spring here in So. Cal so please send over some of your colder weather here, Danni and no wonder you have any "blocks" with all the hours you're working. Great job with your new camera and the gorgeous photos : )

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  2. When I lived in VA for 6 years the mild Winters actually pissed me off. I hated seeing green in January. It made me want to piss on a flower. For realz. To be honest, the fact that we've gotten piss in snow here in Jersey and it's almost the end of January is pissing me off. Time for the snow dance.

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  3. Some winters as of late have been mild and perplexing and this year here has been crazy. Snow, ice, sleet, rain, sunshine and then it's 57 in the afternoon. I'm afraid my turtles are going to get confused, come out of hibernation, and then when the weather changes in Feb. which it always does, freeze to death. NO, NO, NO, so everyday I'm out looking for turtle breathing holes and hoping not to find any. No bees yet but the tulip tree and pussy willows are getting ready to burst. Crazy, I tell ya.
    I'm so glad you have a camera again. I can understand how icky it can be without one. Yeah for you. Oma Linda

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  4. I hear you on early spring flowers... We have not gotten terribly cold either... Had a wonderful rain last night and I am just waiting to see what that does to all the things that seem to be waiting for a good reason to come out...

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  5. I have to agree it's been a mild winter, even in Northern NJ. We had 7 inches of snow last Saturday, but then it went right back up to 54 degrees. Crazy!

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  6. It's been even been noticeably mild in TX. It's not usually too bad, but usually we get consistent freezes, a bit of ice and maybe a couple of days of snow. This year? Two nights of freeze. It's been about 72 degrees for a month. Blech. It just feels off.

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  7. Definitely a weird winter...like your rings...

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  8. Oh Danni, I know exactly how you feel. It has been the strangest winter here as well. My Forsythia has tried to bloom and then died off 3 different times and I have been out twice to weed since October. It just is not right. I fear fleas, ticks and mosquitoes the size of watermelon this year. (hehehe...I still chuckle every time I think about you saying the mosquitoes were trying to carry you off for their concubine) Anyway, let's hope we don't get hit with freezes in March.

    Congratualtions on your wonderful new camera. Happy Thurday to you!

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  9. Oh Danni, Giving you the ole Jersey Salute!! (you know raspberries)
    this week is warmer, but mostly overcast and yukky...today is the warmest and it is raining...last week was bitter cold.

    Anyway-- come visit my 2nd blogoversary celebration and huge giveaway. please help spread the word also!
    http://piecesoffatesusan.blogspot.com/

    I hope you and yours are doing well!
    After this I hope to start being able to visit more of my bloggy friends more often.
    BB,
    Susan

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  10. Winter has been weird here in Ohio too. We have had one real wintery weekend and that about did it, at least so far. Today was sunny and gorgeous.

    On an unrelated note I think we own the same ring. The pentacle band. :)

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  11. It seems Spring is trying to show off, isn't she? I, too, am terribly busy. I'm sure this year's Pagan Culture blogoversary won't be a repeat of last year. It will only last a day.

    *goes back and stares at your gorgeous growth*

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  12. I'm totally ready for Spring... whenever she gets her behind over here. I wish all I had to don was a hoodie. And I can't wait until I no longer have to warm up my car for 10 minutes before I can drive anywhere. ^-^

    Every month is a suitable Fairie month. I'm sure they (and we, too) won't mind having it a different month this year. <3

    I'm so glad you got yourself a camera! Yay!!! =D
    Now all I gotta do is get home to a computer that will let me actually SEE all those pics... *grumblestupidworkcomputersgrumble*
    Lolz... Hope you're having a good weekend. ^-^

    XOXO

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