Happy Anniversary to Sydney!

Hello to all of you, our friends. Syd was over at the computer at 5:15 this morning, casting furtive glances at me from the corner of his eye as I let the dogs out then went about preparing his lunch and getting the dogs food.  He ALWAYS remembers our engagement anniversary before I do!! He was (though I have not looked yet) posting it to our social network ( :

I used to work at a tax firm and March 15th is a very important deadline for businesses to have their taxes in. You would think that those years would have been VERY easy for me to remember this date - not really. Syd always wakes up and tells me, first thing - except today, when he told all our "friends" first. Back to this morning: he asked me what time the appointments are, which I'm driving my 'ladies' to today. I responded and he said, "Good, then call me and I'll meet you at "the Colatina" for our anniversary dinner". GOT ME! again.

So, "happy 32nd anniversary, Hunny!"

               This was a pic I asked a coworker to take, last time Syd sent flowers. It was for Happily Married Week.

I hope you all have a good day. It didn't make it down to freezing last night. Feeling pretty bad for the sugar makers out there. Sturm got up on the back of the couch this morning (he thinks he's a cat) to chase a moth at the back window; another moth. I'll admit, I'd like to see it freeze up and be even a little cooler during the days too so the buds don't swell and burst out. The Lord knows best and, "This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Thanks for stopping to say hello.

Between the Phoebe and Sugarin' Time

Between  Phoebe and Sugaring Time

“Phoe-ee-be”, resounds in the distance ‘gainst white, blanketed hills.

We walk without speaking; bending our ear for an echoing, “drip, drip” of sap quickly

            filling buckets, yet unhung.

Strange, brown earth rises to meet the souls of our feet; awakened from its sleep beneath  

            a once-deep crust of ice and snow. 

This is a brief period; a wisp of time; a day, a week, depending on how weather turns.

The crust has failed; now too soft to follow creature’s trails toward hidden dens. 

The fox prints can be seen from last night’s hunt.

Senses are alive.  Balm is in the breeze.

No mittens or scarf encumber today.  Coats remain unbuttoned.

Our boots finally need not keep out winter’s cold and snow;

              --only the MUD, glorious mud!

I wrote this last year and am about three weeks late in posting it for this Spring. "Sugaring time" is certainly underway. Syd and I even saw two moths the other night, fluttering outside the porch window. The time for maple sugaring is drawing to a close soon. The nights have been quite warm. Snow on our north side of the Hill is holding tightly to the ground while the mud on the driveway steals your shoe as often as it gets a chance.

The phoebes were singing their little hearts out this morning; I suppose they're waiting for the buds to swell then burst forth their leaves, just like we are. It won't be long before we see the poplars and birches pale yellow-green appear on the gray hills. Syd always says that "it's like looking at a Bob Ross painting, the way the light greens are spattered across the mountains." He brings it up every year, noticing it before I do. 

Steam has been pouring from our neighbor, Mike's sugar house and the boys up the hill have a nice outdoor operation, with their woodpile nearby and sap buckets lining the driveway. Now and then you hear their snowmobile heading up the hill across the field, sled attached, going to gather.

"Oh, the drip, drip, drip in the bucket; Oh, the drip, drip, drip from the tree; Oh, the drip, drip, drip makes me want to take a sip from the old sap bucket on the maple tree." Syd sings this song; something he remembers from childhood. I'd never heard it before until he sang it at the beginning of a video he did about maple sugaring. He visited lots of old sugar houses and especially went in to see our friend, Jim's, operation. We like to call Jim, "Uncle Jim-ima". It is from him that we buy all of our maple syrup. He was pleased that Syd did the film, as his grandkids never had gotten to come and help him make syrup because it is while they are in school and they don't live nearby.

Well, if you come to the hill soon, watch the mud and take it slow. If you can, stay in the middle of the road.
Thanks for stopping by!

Nearing Spring!

What a beautiful day. I had to work for a few hours this morning and tried to get out early enough to avoid the rain. As I was walking to the car it was sprinkling but the dogs and I got to Mom's and talked her into a walk anyway (it didn't take much). We got our hats on and headed out into the increasing mud but never got hit with a drop of rain! It had stopped and the sun even peeked out for us. Praise the Lord!

As you can see, we had a little mud to dodge here and there.  Ruger didn't hold still long enough to get his picture taken (he generally hides when he sees a camera anyway).

We got a surprise when we heard water running - almost like a little brook - through the culvert. As we looked over the edge of the road there WAS a little brook running - even a little waterfall. It was thrilling because we both know that there is really no brook anywhere on our hill and we both love the sound of running water.

If you look carefully down near the right corner, you'll see the little waterfall. The picture doesn't do it justice. This brook will run until the snow in the field above is gone. It's very exciting for us, actually.

Look, the snow near the top is almost gone! It was a beautiful Spring walk. Do you notice yourself being excited about the end of Winter as if it has never happened before? I do, every year. Spring is a time of renewing and of things being born and started. I hope for more very cold nights and warm days, for the sugar makers, then I'm very excited to see the buds come out and little flowers pushing their way up through the dirt.  

Anyone of you who are 'pray-ers' I'd ask you to pray for Mom's hip. She may have twisted her back and she might have a touch of sciatica trouble. We are doing exercises along that line. We're watching it carefully and seem to be seeing improvement. If we don't see that it's better by next week she'll be seeing the doctor.  Thanks for remembering her.

Happy Spring! hope you can get out and enjoy it!