Beneath the melting snow....

   Revealed beneath the melting snow from this year's long, cold winter are the joys and sometimes the 'wrath' of Mother Nature. We are well into the month of April and while other regions of the country have experienced the warmth of the sun and the blossoms of the early springtime flowers, this has been a long winter for us. It has only been the past few days that it has actually felt like springtime has finally arrived with temps getting into the high 40's and low 50's. But finally, even in the dark and quiet of the night, one can hear the water from the melting snow on the roof trickle to the ground and perhaps by the end of the week, the snow on the roof will be completely gone.

   As the snow melts, small patches of grass dot the yard. But in the back yard, protected from the sun by some very tall trees, the snow is still well over a foot deep. The good news is that as it continues to melt, it will help to fill the backyard 'frog ponds' . Here's hoping the frogs, buried deep in their muddy winter homes, survived the winter's cold and ice.

   Along with the spots of green scattered about are spots of brown. But, I'll pass on that discussion and just go get a shovel and start to clean them up.

   Beneath the bird feeders is a hefty collection of bird seed and already the squirrels and chipmunks have done a pretty good job of cleaning up after themselves. They are not afraid to warn Lucky to 'stay away' if he is out in the yard and while he attempts to chase them up the closest tree, they continue to chatter back at him.

   And speaking of Lucky, he has rediscovered several of his missing toys, buried deeply in the snow, left outside just before our first major winter storm.

   I have come to the conclusion that Mother Nature has her own method of pruning and clearing the dead branches from the trees. It's called 'the wind” and we certainly had our share of wind this year. The result was more drops of limbs and branches than I can remember in many years. And there were also a few trees that fell too, fortunately in the direction away from the house. Once the snow is completely gone, it's going to take a bit of time cleaning up this year

   Walking across portions of the remaining snow that still covers the ground, the layers of ice under the snow crack and break. There appears to have been a 2-3 inch layer of ice coating the ground before the heavy snows hit, and the sooner it melts, the better it will be for any surviving grass.

   It is interesting to follow the little tunnels beneath the ice and snow. I assume they are the result of the “under snow” network set up by the the various critters seeking out food and safe haven. There is a rather large tunnel opening just below the bird feeder in front of the living room window and often a chipmunk will peek out of the opening before venturing farther toward the food supply making sure the big black dog is not within sight.

   Along the edge of the house, next to the foundation where the sun has melted the snow and warmed the ground, some of the early spring flowers are beginning to break the muddy surface and before long should be in bloom.

   The streets and driveway are coated in sand and reports are that local towns and cities used more sand and salt this year than in recent years. It was a bad year for ice and it will be interesting to see the damage that may have occurred to the plants and shrubs.

   One of the ways I keep track of the snow level is by checking in on my 'rock people”' the sentinels stationed around the yard. It has only been this past week most have popped their heads above the snow and it won't be long before they all will be basking in spring and summer sun.
    But for now, we'll just let Mother Nature stick to her own time table and her way of bringing things back to life... from beneath the melting snow. 

                            One of the several sentinels emerging from the snow!

* Several days have passed since I wrote this earlier in the week. With 60 degree weather, it is amazing how much snow has melted and with the exception of  just a couple of sections of the yard, we are pretty much snow free, the first time since December. May Spring really is here.!!!