Spring Equinox

I would like to believe Spring is here but... this is Missouri and any weather can happen. Today is a sunny and very breezy day with temps 68F/20C, so I was sitting on the back steps happily knitting on the "Frankenstein sock" when a ladybug landed on my size 2 knitting needle. Well, if that isn't a sign of Spring I don't know what is... Val got a quick phone shot before my little harbinger flew away.

Being that today is also the Spring Equinox, we celebrated with a plate of fresh, steamed asparagus for lunch. It was terrifically cheap, less than a dollar a pound, at my local market. Steamed asparagus is my Spring tonic and I annually go completely overboard eating it. The small patch in our backyard is nowhere near ready to produce and I still have to throw some manure on it. So many chores to make up for that were missed last Fall! The local Mounted Police have their stable nearby and I will either haul my trog up there and shovel my own load of manure or purchase a bag or two of the processed stuff. As long as I get the manure on the asparagus patch before the heavy Spring rains, the asparagus roots should be alright.

Of course, I have been taking lots of yard and garden tours, marveling at every new shoot and worrying about those overwintered plants that are still a bunch of crispy brown leaves; like my Brunnera macrophylla blue, and the other Brunnera with the common name "Jack Frost." Since winter was exceptionally brutal this year I am hesitant to remove all the leaf clutter yet, just in case we have a stray March/April snow storm. I take heart in the fact the crocus bulbs are just starting to bloom, meaning the season is still very early, so I'm enjoying whatever pops up.

The nights are still near 40F/4C and clear. We were out in the yard about 1AM this morning hoping to see the asteroid eclipse of the bright star Regulus, in the constellation Leo, to the right of the moon. Unfortunately, aside from appreciating the brisk night, I think we only saw maybe a blink of an eclipse of Regulus; Missouri not being in the prime viewing range. We definitely could see our breath though in the cold air and it's amazing how sound carries in the stillness of night. I thought I could hear our local deer munching in the darkness across the street.

Well, I'll take warm days and chilly nights any season. I love the warmy-cold feel, perfect for a sweater and some wooly socks. There's nothing quite as comforting as snuggling under a few warm blankets either, especially during our planetary shift into Spring.