April Fool

I took the opportunity for a quick walk during a break in the rain today, the short loop down our creek, past the pond to Morgan and back up the pond creek to the house again. The understory is really greening up, buckeyes are opening their leaves and the ground is very green now with trout lilies which have passed the baton to the spring beauties for most prolific flower at the moment.

The creek is up again from the rain and I’m hopeful that the big carp that live in University Lake will reappear to spawn here in the headwaters of Morgan. We’ve not seen them in a couple of years as its been too dry or maybe too much debris in the creek downstream from storms kept them from being able to swim up.

The Canada geese are back at the pond, they’ll give it a go one more year, despite the turtles eating their babies every time. They lay completely flat, their long necks out in front, they even manage to flatten their big bodies out, he in the water, she on the nest, to try and hide from me as I walk past.

Mama goose, flat on the nest

The green umbrellas of the May apples are up and I search in vein for morels, I know they are out there but never seem able to find any. Some trees are beginning to leaf out, the redbuds are open, casting a pink haze across the woods and the dogwoods are just beginning- still green and not completely open yet.

The first asparagus appeared this week, just a couple per day, soon we’ll be inundated- yumm. Lettuce are almost big enough to pick, a few radishes are looking right as well, spring veggie season begins…

Tulips started blooming this week to join the daffodils. Lilac, iris, and poppies are showing buds. The loropetalum in its hot pink fringed finery outshines every other thing in the garden right now, but the tulip tree is still putting on a show and the crabapple is about to do the same.

Tulip magnolia with ginger scented blooms

I’ve been ridiculously busy, after not working for 10 months I accepted three part-time jobs simultaneously and am now working about 30 hours per week. This is not helping me get all my house and garden chores done, nor leaving me time to write or blog or anything else. What was I thinking- and just as spring is coming on. I’m doing my best to juggle it all, but forgive me if you don’t see as many dispatches as usual from me here.

Check this out- I’ve got a monthly column now in the Chapel Hill News called “In Season”, the first one ran in March and the next will be out in a couple of weeks, click above if you care to read it.