What a Difference a Week Makes

A week ago, we had deep snow throughout the yard, and I was brushing snow off of the evergreens so their branches wouldn't break. Today, it has been above freezing since yesterday morning, and the grass is starting to show through in many places. Temps are likely to be over 40 for the next several days, and we may lose all of the snowcover.

As snow melts, things are uncovered that went unnoticed under the white blanket. Many mouse or vole runs are evident, which means that the grass will be torn up when it is revealed.

I love the big weeping willow in the southeast corner of the yard, but this shot shows one of the biggest downsides of willows: they drop branches and twigs constantly. We picked up a big pile of them right before the first snow, but there will be plenty in the spring.

And some plants seem not to understand that the January thaw is not the spring. The New England Aster plant under the bedroom window is already sending out new shoots. The warm weather is nice, and I do like to see what is going on. But I hope for more snow to cover all this up for awhile again. It's too soon to start cleaning up, and the snow offers protection from the inevitable cold nights still to come.