The end of winter comes as a relief. I love the change in seasons, and each one is dear to me for different reasons, but winter does get long, even mild winters like we had this year. I start craving the sight of greenness, and blooming things, and the frolicking of happy baby animals, and long walks in the sunshine, and actually breaking a sweat. So spring comes as a relief.

Back in November, I planted nearly 100 tulip and daffodil bulbs in my perennial garden, in front of the lilac bush. I cheered them on, over the last month or so, hoping and praying that they’d survive, since they had been a little hoodwinked by the warm weather into coming up a little extra early. I covered them with frost cloth on a number of nights, and warily checked them the following days, always glad to see minimal to no frost damage in spite of temps in the 20s. The first daffodil bloomed a few days ago, and the first tulips bloomed Easter Sunday. So worth the wait, and the work!

The plum and crabapple trees are blooming, the asparagus and strawberries have poked up through the soil, the lilac is heavy with dark buds, and the first pasques and bluebells are lurking on the hillsides in sunny places. Spring is well on her way.

After a few weeks of moderate turmoil, Posey and her three calves are thriving. The calves make the cutest little multicolored threesome, lazing around or playing together, napping while Posey grazes nearby. When the calves are close to the barn, I often find my cat, Spicy, curled up with them, enjoying their warmth.

It is a sweetness I just can’t get enough of.