Notes from the Spring Creek Arts Guild

Springtime

Here it is! Flowers are blooming everywhere, and so are the trees. Everything outside gets a tinge of yellow from the pollen floating in the air. The wind howls at times, making the house creak and the chickens’ feathers blow backwards—that would make me grumpy! Driving at night gets your windshield splattered with bug guts. Thankfully this year, we are having some spring rains, too. Here in Spring Creek, we have had 2.33 inches of rain for March. I have friends in other parts of the county who have had more, but we tend to always lag behind in rainfall totals. No matter, we are thankful for that rain.

The spring cleaning bug has bitten me hard lately. A couple of weeks ago, I cleaned out and organized what counts as our attic. That involved moving some things out that were better stored in the barn. Yesterday, I spent several hours cleaning and organizing some of the storage areas in the barn, consolidating various containers, throwing away things that never should have ended up in storage in the first place, and getting things put away. I found some treasures in the process, including a book given to me by my grandmother many years ago.

I have been looking at plants and seeds every time I pass them in a store. It is about that time of year, too, when I start feeling brave about growing vegetables and flowers again. I need that bravery because gardening has been really tough for most of the past several years. Last year on top of drought and heat, I had an attack of squash beetles and some sort of worm on the beautiful sunflowers I managed to grow anyway. And of course, the ever present grasshoppers. But, hope springs eternal in the heart of the gardener!

My first hummingbird showed up a couple of weeks ago and has been here alone until today. I started hearing painted buntings a couple of weeks ago, too, and finally saw one a couple of days ago. I have yet to see a summer tanager and really cannot remember when they usually show up.As much as I dread the hot weather of summer, I am thrilled to see my colorful feathered friends back again.

Y’all get out there and enjoy it! I hope it will be an extended spring as we have had on occasion, then ease into summer. I really hope it we do not slam into the 100-plus degrees range suddenly like it did last year. I really could get into a summer with zero 100-plus days. How about you?