Mud Season

With the warmer weather the piles of clay and mud left by the well driller have started to thaw.  I spent over an hour shoveling up tbe sticky, heavy mud and moving it by the creek.

The mud is very wet and heavy.  I was able to knock down the 6" pile after 10 trips by wheelbarrow.  There still is more mud and clay to remove, but the frozen ground limits the water from draining, so now I have to contend with slippery goo.

I could not help to wonder about the recent news story from Washington state where a whole hillside slid down and buried a 1 square mile area, obliterating many homes and taking the lives of many people.  I especially wonder how the rescuers can work through many feet of mud.  My heart goes out to them.

A Hint of Spring

The daily highs have been well above freezing, and the long awaited thaw as begun.  It was a beautiful afternoon, one for walking about and seeing what is waking after the winter slumber.

We still have quite a bit of snow about - mostly in piles we created shoveling the deck and the driveway and paths.

It will be some time before they all melt!

Luckily, the snow has left most of the yard.  The raised beds are clear, though they need some work!

I had a feeling that the daffodils would start to emerge.  Yes!  They are pushing through the leaf litter.  Though the calendar said Spring started a few days ago, real Spring is nearly here.

The creek is flowing clear.  There is still ice on the shaded northern back.  I good rain will soon melt it away.

Can't wait for Spring!

Recovery

The last few months have brought a dry well, a pellet stove on the fritz, and my third cold in as many months.  And top it off, record cold temperatures.

The well driller was able to finally get in and drop our well another 30 feet.  Finally, dependable water!

We had to let it run a while to get the sediment down and let it get clear.  We were getting 14 gallons a minute.  Excellent.  

Of course, the front yard is a mess with the excavation and mud and clay all about.  Once we get a good thaw and the yard dries out I will be out to shovel up the muck. 

The temperatures have come up quite a bit.  I think the back of winter is broken.  I've seen starling and blackbirds.  I hear the robins, but have not seem any yet.  The redwing blackbirds aren't far away now.

We went to the hardware store.  We couldn't help picking up some seeds.  I expect to be in the gardens in a month getting the beds ready for this season!

Oops!  I spoke to soon.  We had a quick coating of graupel, but it melted away.  The weather will be very changeable as we start to move into Spring.

And finally, the parts finally came in and our stove is fixed.  

 I hope we have recovered.  I am looking forward to Spring!