The Seasons
Spring: Windswept wakes up. Sheltered, crocuses can emerge in February. The Canada geese fly north, in V-shaped formations, honking loudly. Soon, the hillside is covered in bright yellow forsythia blooms, the grass turns green, a chorus of peepers in the wetlands tells us that change is in the air.
Migrating songbirds join the overwintering crowd at the feeders. Some will continue on north. Time to prepare for the growing season! Raspberries, fruit trees, and grape vines are pruned, the asparagus patch is mulched and soon we'll harvest the first stalks. We put in a vegetable garden: potatoes and onions first, to be followed by tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, squash, herbs, Swiss chard, and pumpkins.
Summer is demanding. Mother Nature expresses her preference for uncontrolled growth, so now is a time of weeding, cutting, pruning, mowing, trimming, and sawing. In the garden, we thin the Asian pears, peaches, apples, and grapes before the fruit gets to be so bountiful that it breaks the branches. The vegetables require weeding, and sometimes irrigation through the soaker hoses. Paths around the hay field, the meadow and the CREP-area and the banks of the pond have to be maintained lest they grow shut. The longed for crops come in - generally all at once and needing to be preserved. Hay has to be made. We remember to notice the return of the Monarch butterfly, the swallows, the fireflies, the pond frogs, and the insect music of the night. Not to leave out the contributions of the young mocking birds and owls.
Fall is many faceted. Early on, still warm with many, many crops to be harvested and preserved. The second crop of raspberries can exceed the first. Apples, Asian pears, grapes, tomatoes, peppers take up multiple baskets on the back porch, followed by pumpkins and squash. Then, comes the inevitable frost with the harvesting of green tomatoes for pies and chutney. And, the good-byes to our summer friends, the butterflies, the hummingbirds, the swallows, the night sounds.
The fallen leaves are gathered and used to tuck in the gardens for their long winter nap.
Winter is usually a time when nature rests, and we also try to do so. The thick log walls of the cabin protect against the cold winter wind as they do against the summer’s heat. Long evenings in front of the fire with a book and a beverage. Outside feeding the birds, some snow shoveling, also a good time to prune trees and collect kindling for the fireplace. Grapes and raspberries that were quickly frozen after the fall harvest are now processed into delicious, flavorful jam and jelly. We make more time for baking and cooking, enjoying not only the smells but also the heat coming from the oven. Good time to plan the next garden.
