Mud season

Mark stood on the porch and surveyed the backyard with a frown. This time last week we were digging in the dirt, planting seeds at my mom’s new garden. Here in Burlington there’s snow still on the ground; the weather is teasing us into thinking it’s spring one day, and winter the next. There’s no way for the soil to soak up all the moisture for at least another week or so, making digging and planting impossible. Welcome to mud season.

We’d prefer to be able to get started in the gardens by now. Clocks spring ahead, St. Patty’s Day, Spring Solstice, all symbolize new growth, green, the changing of the seasons. Before we know it we’ll be up to our ears in work: amending the soil, sowing seeds, transplanting, weeding, etc.  But for now it’s the daily struggle of not being able to get outside and get started that is driving us crazy.

Oh sure, there are plenty of things we could do indoors – starting seeds, organizing gardening supplies, and of course, all the home remodeling projects that we were going to do this winter that aren’t yet completed.

But we’d rather have our hands in the soil.

Mark beating up the snow with a rake

After waking up to snow on the ground yesterday, it warmed up slightly and we did get a little bit done outside. Mark thought it would be productive to tell the snow just what he thought of it, by beating it up with a rake. I took to organizing my storage unit car in the driveway.

I’m sure all the anticipating will be worth it. I’m sure when we’re busy with project after project this summer, going at a ridiculous pace like we are known to do, we’ll look back longingly and wish it were March again.  For the moment, though, it’s just hard to believe the growing season will ever come.