The weather was feeling more spring like today and the blue skies were calling. I grabbed my camera and brought it along to do my chores! Sometimes it seems like I am sharing fresh versions of exactly the same scene over and over because the landscape has hardly changed but I can hear birds chirping, spring is coming!
Here's a photo of Mischa was excitedly telling me to hurry up as I strap on my snowshoes.
We have an evergreen plantation on the road front of the property. A few acres that had been cleared long ago were replanted about five years ago. It looks like a normal forest unless you really look closely. Then you realize that there are a lot of tidy rows. Baby trees are filling in these gaps gradually.
This was taken on my way to check the birch sap buckets. It was tough going through the snow even in snowshoes. I realized that I should have picked a grove that was closer to the house because it's quite the hike and when you are carrying pails of sap. I just love it out in the woods though, especially when the sun peeks through the trees.
Here's a wasp nest that's fallen to the ground. It was hanging in one of the trees for a couple of years. We leave them in place because it deters other wasps from creating a home in that spot.
An those dark patches in that tree are some kind of birds nests way up there. No idea who/what types of birds these belong to. Learning our local birds in on my list ...my very long list.
This shot was taken while I was on my way back from the woods to feed the chickens. I had a pail with bread and mushrooms for them. It's a celebration feast because they are FINALLY laying eggs again.
Here are the chickens enjoying their feast. This time of year they get really bossy and miserable having been cooped up for too long. The run (where this photo is taken) is covered in plastic so they at least have some space outside of the coop to hang out. They are all too afraid to walk on the snow.
This is what the forest edge looks like. Three sides of the property are surrounded by these woods. As you can see we have a lot of birch trees and plenty of evergreens. Tree identification is on the top of our list for this year.
One day we wont be able to see the road at all. I like living on a hill, we are free from issues such as floods and we have a nice vantage point of the surrounding hills and forests. The sun war warm enough today that I say outside enjoying the blue skies for a while.
Inside we've got seedlings started, and we'll just try and be patient for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw. Mosquitoes will be here soon enough (lol).
Thanks for coming along with me on a winter-ish walk around our property.
I am really excited to show you want spring time is like around here. The snow has to melt eventually! We have so many big and new projects on the horizon - I can't wait for aching muscles and dirt under my fingernails!
Building a greener, more beautiful world one seed at a time.
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Breathtaking! Beautiful!!! Wow, those "nests" in that pine remind me of "witch's brooms"
Are you familiar with them? They are really cool, smaller dwarfed growths I've seen on conifers.
This is so wonderful. Thank you. I had not heard of witch's broom but I think that might be what this is. I've learned something new and wonderful - thank you! :)
Great!!! That is so neat!!!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
Looks so beautiful. I love the woods too! I especially love when the fern fronds start popping up. We are trying to work outside in between the snow and rain. Trying to get the plowing finished in the garden today and it rained. We may get snow again this weekend, how about you? That is a huge wasps nest. They are much smaller here. I see hornets nests on porches here. I asked one day if they collected them and told me it keeps the other bees away. The bears eat the nests here. In the ground or in the trees. Do you have to watch for bear too?
There are bears, moose, coyotes (the coyotes scare me the most) and all kinds of critters. I've seen bears when driving up our road but I have never encountered them in the woods. I am aware of my surroundings and tend to be a bit noisy to announce my presence! I noticed a tree near the house has been destroyed by a bear or moose rubbing their antlers or claws on it. It's only about 10 feet into the woods.
Do you collect the fern fronds in the spring? They call them fiddleheads here. I had never heard about it until we moved here but they are really tasty sautéed with garlic and butter.
We have rain in the forecast. I have my fingers crossed. My husband is itching to get on his tractor. The ground is still frozen solid - I have no idea when we'll be able to start working. The snow is still knee deep in a lot of areas ..so it will be a while I think. :(
We have all the same critters here too!
I love fiddleheads. We steam them and my husband likes butter on his but I like the juice from pickles garlic scapes on mine!
Love the photos of your homestead! Even with snow in April, it's lovely!
And mosquitoes! We have a swamp along our north property line. We also have a population of little brown bats in our barn. I joke we have the only 105' x 30' bat house in the valley. They are much reduced in numbers due to white nose disease, but we still get some. And they do a number on mosquitoes!
As far as the chickens go, you just need a small child to pick them up, carry them out, and plop them into the snow. Don't ask me how I know :))) I really enjoyed all your photos. You said the landscape looks the same but I see quite the difference in the snow level around your cabin!
That is true! Sometimes it takes new eyes to remind me of this - thank you! We recently had a full day of rain and that did a wonderful job of shrinking down the snow. oh my, I can just hear the chickens protesting now. That is so funny. It's so wonderful that your kids are being raised in such a great environment.
The funny part is that the last time it happened I was busy rinsing the chickens' waterer and didn't notice till Pixie proudly said "Look Mommy, I brought Elsa out!" and there was Elsa just standing stock still in snow that buried her legs, looking as much like she was saying "Uhhhhhh....seriously!?" as a chicken could look. I think Elsa has learned the futility of squawking or resisting and just rolls with whatever the kids dish out. The golden wyandottes are the kid-wary squawking runners of the flock :)
Now the time there was a quite a bit of snow on the ground and the kids chased all the chickens out of the clear patch into it...yep, a lot of complaining was involved!!
that is so funny and the mean part of my mind thinks that chickens deserve a bit of kid attention/torment for all the bitchiness they unleash on each other (lol).