Maple sugaring

As temperatures range above freezing both night and day, the buds on the sugar maples begin to swell with life. The energy for this life is found in the sugary sap that has been flowing up and down through the trees for about 6 weeks now. The swelling of the maple buds is an indication that the trees have used up the sweet stores of nutrients that have been growing in their roots all winter. It's also the signal of the end of sugaring for this year.
Our sugaring season was shorter than I had hoped for but I welcome the advent of the gardening season. We pulled all the taps and washed out the buckets, ready for next year.

As we checked our taps in the last couple weeks, I noticed the wild leeks peeking out of the leaves and quickly growing green tops. Soon the bulbs will swell and it will be time for our first batch of vichyssoise; an eagerly anticipated event at out house! Fishing season comes in this month and nothing goes with fresh trout better than vichyssoise! So as one season within a season passes, another one is quick on it's heals.

The bluebirds are here!

Over the years we've placed bluebird boxes in different locations around our yard and woods. The boy scouts build them and having had a few nephews and friends ago through the program, we've picked up a few. As spring arrived we'd watch anxiously for the bluebirds to come back and then, with disappointment, see them pause for a day or two, then move on.

This year I'd almost given up hope of providing the nesting location they were looking for. I saw a flash of blue outside my kitchen window and thought it might be an indigo bunting. It was a male bluebird!! He purched thoughtfully on the clothesline pole, checking out the area. Figuring that would be the one and only time I'd see him this year, I watched to see what he'd do next. He flew over to the bluebird box on the trellis in my kitchen garden and looked inside. Then he quickly flew away. I went out to look in the box and cleaned out the debris left from last years wrens hoping he'd be back.
My youngest daughter called me to tell me that she'd seen him on the clotheslines pole again and this time he was carrying a blade of grass. He took it to the box and went inside! He brought his wife and we've been watching them build their nest and enjoying hearing their songs right outside the kitchen window.
What fun it will be to watch their family grow!

Next on the list is a feeder to get the scarlet tanagers to come closer.

One crazy week!!

This week has been full of a lot of out of the ordinary events. On top of a pile of other trials, it was just about more than I could handle... alone. For awhile, I lost my focus and began to panic but realized that I needed to get a grip so I could move on.

In the midst of the worst of the events, God sent me a bit of a reprieve with a nice surprise. I think it was His way of showing me that there is always hope. As I tried to put things in the proper perspective, I realized that all the important things are fine and the events that put me over the top are important but not as important as I was making them.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. When I think of what He did for me on that day long ago, how can I even think that I have anything to worry about?

He's always looking out for me and will take care of me wherever I am. And whatever circumstances come into my life, the will of God will never lead me to a place where His grace can't keep me. For that, I am eternally thankful.