Coming Home

After being away at a conference for a few days last week....

Coming home was a breath of fresh air.

Oh how i love being home with my loves.  I was greeted with the first edition of Taproot!, which i read from cover to cover, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun on the porch.

Being 80 degrees out, i brought my seedlings up to the porch to catch some afternoon rays.  When i went to bring them back inside, i noticed that my basil had germinated!

Spring beginnings

March 18th-  i started my seedlings.  It seems funny, but i did this outside on my porch and in the sun, as it was 74 degrees out!  We have been having the strangest weather lately.  It was in the 80's all week here.  When i would get home from work, i would move my seedlings out in the sun, as it was warmer on the porch than it was inside! 

I planted basil, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers.  I figure that the rest of my plants i will just put the seeds directly in the ground when we start the garden.  (which may be sooner than expected!).

Yes, it has been unseasonably warm causing our lawn to turn green, sandals to be warn, picnics on the porch to be had, charlie bathing in the brook and our time shifted outside.  Perfect :)

Spring in New England.  Ha!

This.

This year, spring came early.  We began tapping our sugar maples in the middle of February.  One of the wonderful things that this business brings is the unknown.  In our annual edition of "Maple News" we read as old-timers predicted what the season would bring.  Some said it would be short, some said it would be the best.  Others said, "we'll just have to wait and see..."  Sugaring depends on a very particular weather pattern.  From year to year, you simply cannot predict what the season will bring.  This spring came in strong & fast.  We were greeted with 40 degree days in the beginning of February.  Although i welcome the sun and the warmth that comes with it, i do depend on it coming in the middle of march, not the middle of February.  Yes, this season was short & sweet.  So each time we boiled, we took it all in.  The company of neighbors & friends.  The kids getting muddy in the brook.  The hikes along the lines to check for leaks.  The sweet steam filling the sugar-house to the brim.  And finally, the pure maple syrup we taste & enjoy.  There is nothing like this time of year.  The natural changing of the seasons is something we rely on.  Something that we can trust and count on.  Yes, Spring came early, so we tucked away our winter nighttime routines and greeted the sugar-house with snacks, stories, beverages & bluegrass. 

This?

This is what spring is all about in our family....

For Charlie

This guy?  This pup here gets so much love.  He is also the best  model when i practice with my new lens.  These shots were taken back in January.  When we still had snow on the ground.  When we weren't knee deep in mud.  Yes, before spring came in the beginning of March.  What a warm winter we had!  

My next post will be exploring our sugaring season this year :)  

Stay tuned, but for now, enjoy my pup.....

Light

Today is a very special woman’s day.  Today is my own mama’s birthday.  And on her birthday I would like to shine a little light her way.  Being born on the crest of the spring season is surely something special.  The days getting longer, we rejoice and take in the extra light.  I have been really focused on capturing these rays with my camera, as if to hold onto them to remind myself of all the light that is to come in the months ahead.  When thinking about my mom and her presence in my life, and the life of others, many things come to mind. 

Right now, this year i think of light & beauty. 

My mother has always been one of the biggest lights in my life. 

It must be the most amazing feeling to be a mother.  From the moment you find out you have another life inside you, to rocking your baby to sleep, to watching them grow, to guide & nourish them, then to finally send them on their way. 



I have already learned so much about life through my mother.  And I know that when I become a mother, I will once again, step into her shoes and find my way.  Happy birthday mom. 

Enjoy the sun today, it’s out for you <3