Sarah's Crocuses or Croci
A heavy mist meandering across our lower meadow and through the naked trees blurs the distant ridge; dense grey clouds pressing down from above promises more rain today; which is good because winter seems to have finally resigned its all too lengthy term in favour of spring. Since almost all of the snow has disappeared, the land, the lakes and the forests are alive with returning birds and animals; mating season is in the air. Despite the frost still lingering within the soil and the occasional snow fall, brave little flowers are poking up all over.
After a quick trip to Danforth, ME and back, at the border crossing, a tiny bridge separating Canada from the United States, I noticed a small flock of Canadian geese wandering and honking in merriment along the shoreline and a little further out in the lake, where the thick ice had melted, a single mallard and his harem of eight females were gaily paddling away. While crossing the bridge, a short burst of sunlight glittered through the clouds and danced across the lake as happily as the ducks and geese anticipating the nesting season and the birth of their little ducklings and goslings. As Sarah and I passed a farmer's field, I noticed another glint of sun shining on a gathering of robin's red breasts, while they poked through the dead leaves and grasses of last fall, searching for a tasty meal - no doubt a big, fat humongous worm! And in the sky overhead, I also noticed three turkey vultures adjusting their long wings to the flow of the breeze as they glided beneath the clouds. I expect the high-flying, feathered scavengers have not only returned to clean up the dead creatures that didn't survive the winter but were also in search of a hollow tree, small cave or a dense thicket to nest and raise their fledglings. Upon arriving home, we were greeted by the sounds of cheerful songsters as they flitted through the budding branches. Spring and the rebirth of the land is indeed a joyous occasion, and for us, who live at Golden Unicorn Farm, it is no different.
Garry Clark Dismantling the Last Wall
Glenn McLean's little old barn, I feel, rather than finally been ripped apart and torn down, is almost completely harvested. Except for still pulling a kijillion remaining nails, most of the boards have been loaded on a trailer and hauled to Golden Unicorn Farm via Garry's Fireball Express; soon to be recycled into another but smaller barn. If only the weather was a little more cooperative; can't seem to get two good days in a row to finish the job. It's supposed to rain pretty much the remainder of the week, so rather than work on cleaning up the rest of the barn, Garry and I should concentrate on building a fence. At the moment, the earth is soft; ideal for digging a hole and ramming a cedar post into it. If we wait too long, the soil will be as hard as clay and it will be more than twice as difficult to build a fence.
"Fireball-Express"
I recently measured off the fence line and the new mini-barn's location on the backside of my studio. Now that Glenn McLean's barn has been totally flattened, most of the salvageable lumber towed home, despite the hard work ahead of me, I'm itching to get started erecting the new fence and barn. Sarah, the girls and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of two milking-goats, 25 chickens (or is it 50), one Great Pyrenees, possibly several ducks and an gelded alpaca but that won't happen until the barn is built and the fence is up. So much work to do - so little time - wish I was about 20 years younger - even 10 would be helpful - now I know what that 80 year old guy I met in a bar at Lumby, BC years ago meant when he said, "When I was a young man about 50 or so..." And did I mention, that by the time the long May weekend arrives, I need to revamp the enclosed porch leading into the kitchen so it can be used as a small gathering place for the Lake people when they arrive for the summer and fall - like us - I'm sure they'll enjoy Sarah's baking and fresh coffee.
Like I mentioned to Glenn the other day while knocking back one of his cold home-brews, "If anyone had said a year ago that I'd be ripping down a barn, building a new one, then gathering livestock and putting in a large garden, I'd have told them they were out of their mind." I guess the laugh is on me. However, despite the hard work that it takes to bring an old place back to life, there's no place better that I'd like to be other than right here on Golden Unicorn Farm at the base of Green Mountain in Fosterville, NB.
Glenn McLean and me - Cheers - eh!
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