Regardless of what the thermometer or weatherman say, spring is coming to New Hampshire. Yesterday I took the afternoon off to seek out the symbolic signs of the season.
I drove out to Earth Haven Farm to visit my friends Mary and George.
This full moon is called the “Sap Moon” and along the way sugar houses were spewing clouds of steam as the maple sap boiled down to syrup and candies. Most large operations use tubing strung through the woods, ending in huge collection vats. George still uses taps and buckets.
When I pulled into the muddy barnyard another sign of spring was waiting.
Mary’s front porch was loaded with burlap bags of wool soon to be spun into yarn. Upon closer inspection, there were tender green shoots along the sunny side of the porch.
The best harbinger of spring was in the lambing shed. I lost count at twenty balls of fluff leaping, jumping and careening around the stall.
All but one of the ewes had given birth to twins. Mary commented that the mom with a single lamb had to watch out for the roving band of “urchins” – the other lambs would jump at the opportunity to rob her of some milk.
The sun came out just as I was leaving and the warm smells of earth and animals declared Spring was here.
Awesome people to share the beginning of spring with. The lambs are so precious!
I'm finding it is so important to spend time with creative minds. Yours included!