Spring really is on the way

I know we will get some more wintery weather. There will be some snow, some cold rain, even some pretty cold temperatures, but the signs of the times are here, and I know they are pointing to spring.

The sandhill cranes are back.

The goldfinches are singing their song of spring, as are the phoebe birds and the chickadees.

There are beginning to be baby farm animals everywhere.

The kochia weeds are germinating.

My windows have sprung open several times in the last week.

The farm stores are advertising “chick days.”

The “rainbirds” are back. These are actually snipes, but when I say that people think I am trying to josh them. We call them rainbirds because they tend to make a certain sound with their wings, a kind of descending whistle, just before a rainstorm. They also do it in the evenings.

The prairie dogs are out. They were actually coming out before the snow melted, but they are out more and more now.

Speaking of snow melting, that in itself is a sign of spring. Of course, the mud goes with it. That brings to mind another sign--when the puddles drain away, it means that the frost has come out of the ground.

There are certain humps and dips on the county roads, and even the blacktop highways, that also point to spring. They show up in the winter and go away in the spring. Some of them are diminishing.

I saw a motorcycle on the street in town a few days ago.

Soon the snowmobiles will be put back in the shed and the four wheelers and side by sides will take over the mountains and hills.

Yes, spring is on the way. Soon the gardens will grow, and it will be time for zucchini and fresh tomatoes.

Honey Without Bees

45 red clover blossoms

45 white clover blossoms

10 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 teaspoon powdered alum

Mix all ingredients together and boil exactly 3 minutes. Strain through a tightly woven dishcloth. Makes 2 quarts of delicious “honey.”