Winter Is Over!…?

It may not look like it but I am declaring today to be the last day of winter!

I know, I know, it really doesn’t look like winter is done but trust me; it’s on the way out!  Today we saw a liquid substance on the road, I am calling it “molten snow;” though I am sure it is more commonly known by a different word I can’t remember at the moment.

WATER!  It’s called water.  In the summer we will use this ‘water’ to support small vessels and propel them across the surface of the lakes.

but I concede that this activity might be a few weeks out yet.

The liquid form of the element will be a welcome change for the chickens as their water freezes every night.  It will be amazing not have to wake up and haul fresh water through the snow every morning.  Since winter is now over, they might even be able to leave the coop soon.

But not yet…

The Guineas will have their first experience with the outside world. Since they have been confined since birth.

I really hope they come back when given the choice but we didn’t get them to keep them inside.  We got them to eat bugs after all (I will freely admit the lack of insects in the winter is a welcome change that I appreciate very much.)

They are as ready as they are going to be.  *Sniff, sniff.  They are noisy as all get-out and I think their coop-mates will be happy for a little quite.

Spring will come and everything will change because winter is over.  I am completely aware of how many times I have repeated this fact for this post but- well it’s literally that only thing I can do about it.  Declare it done then close my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears and sing “lalalalalalala!” at the top of my lungs; till I see the ground again.  That- and digging paths, lots of paths.

We can access all the entrances and exits of the house because winter is now over.  Or possibly because we helped to free them just a little.

We can still locate the back garden but only because we used a five foot ladder to trellis some of the tomatoes.  Six months ago it looked like this-

I have faith that it’s still under there but it is hard to tell.

This can’t possibly last forever; because that has never happened.  Right?!

I am not going to lie this has been a harsh winter.  I am concerned about the bees.  They were not strong going into fall and only one of them buzzes audibly when I dig them out.  Though the hive last year was showing far more signs of distress at this point in the winter.

We will see, they have spent months looking like this.

I am pretty sure they would rather look like this.

I am even more dubious since these were southern bees and this is their first overwintering.

Life is a mystery and the future is known to none so we will see; what we will see.  All I know is even though it dosen’t feel like we are progressing; we are and soon enough the snow will melt.  We have already started to prepare for spring with a few changes and plenty of cabin fever dreams.

It will be an interesting year but they all are, aren’t they 🙂