country letter April 21st

From: Caroline
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 7:54 AM
Subject: April 21st

I imagine that our friends to the south in Maryland and Pennsylvania breathe a sigh of relief on the first official day of spring. Here, in this little corner of Rhode Island, between the Atlantic and a river, we know better than to hold our breath while waiting because it takes at least a month for us to be truly confident that winter is over. But it is here at last.

I can tell because the Gold Finches have turned bright yellow and sometimes there are so many waiting their turn at the feeder that it almost looks as though I had hung plastic yellow Easter eggs in the branches. (Heaven’s forbid!) The summer bird visitors have begun to arrive – a white heron – he was wading so I couldn’t see his feet so I don’t know what kind he was – a handsome Towhee (aka Dapper Dan, Ground Robin, Chewink) and the first tree swallow checking out the bird houses. Although we have already rid them of mouse and sparrow nests, I think I had better check them again to be more welcoming.

I have finally figured out why, at least for a country dweller, Spring is such a pleasure. (Aside from being able to go outside without layers and layers of clothing.) Every day something new has happened – seeds have sprouted – a tree has blossomed – a forgotten bulb has pushed up and is now blooming. Grape hyacinths have appeared – completing that lovely triumvirate of early blue ( Scillas, with their white starred throats and Puchkinia, the palest blue of all). The pussy willows’s little gray kittens that once gave us hope have burst into creamy tufts of flowers and so now we can see that they are all through our landscape, some as bushes, some as really tall trees.

The winter was squirrel free but the trap has been set again. So far the score is three and one very disgruntled opossum who was so bewildered and stupid that I had to turn the cage upside down to get him to leave. It’s a wonder that there are any of them around.