Scenes from the first of spring

It's been a strange winter here on the ranch. The pipes froze (and burst!) in December, leading to several frostbitten hours in the well-shed with a blowtorch and another hour replacing and insulating outside pipes. Then it warmed up and hasn't really gotten that cold again. Now this weekend we've had three continuous days of 70 degree sunshine and clear skies, which will be followed (according to the weatherman) by rain tomorrow and cold/cloudy all week. So I shaved my legs and busted out my flip flops and spent my days off working in the yard.

(A Flowering Quince that lives just outside my front door, at the top of the steps down to the barn and the lower pastures.)

Planting dahlias and peonies, transplanting a rose and a giant lilac that both had to go before I can move my front door from its current location, and generally sprucing the place up as much as can be were all on the agenda. It was tough to stay on track, though, for every time I stopped to take a breath, another sweet little spring surprise would catch my eye and I'd have to run for my camera again! In the meantime, the pygmy goats Clarence and Moe got to come out of their stall in the barn for the first time all winter and gallivant in their little pasture while the dogs ran laps around the pasture looking for a way through the fence! It took the goats about 60 seconds to realize that the dogs weren't getting in no matter how hard they tried, so they planted their feet and thumbed their noses and laughed at the dumb dumb dogs! Animals are nothing if not entertaining!

Clarence and Moe enjoying the views outside for the first time this spring

And it's a good thing I did that sprucing, for it seems I am expecting guests. That's right, the parental units Ma & Pa Kettle are packing their bags even as we speak, and will be here in just a few short days. Hopefully I can wring as much work out of both of them as possible (just kidding - but not really)...Pa is going to teach me to use a chainsaw so I can clear the western fence line of the tree branches that came down on it this winter, and Ma & I will be planting the rest of the bulbs and fertilizing. (PS - for all of you who thought you could live the swinging single life vicariously through me, think again!).

It's only been a few months, but it seems like M & P haven't been here for ages. I'm looking forward to showing them all of the things I made this winter. Six blankets, a market bag, fingerless gloves and a cowl are all stacked up neatly awaiting their arrival, as is the Mr. Greenjeans sweater I've started knitting. Now the question is: what to do next???