March...

 A lot of people in New England dislike March. It can be wet, cold, and muddy. We are ready for spring, and March seems to stretch on endlessly, a long, chilly pause between winter and spring. As for me, March is a happy month. It's the month it all began for me because it is when I was born. It is the month my beloved pledged to be mine forever, and five years later, the month our precious daughter arrived. 

                                                

The entire long day was stretched out before me when I woke up this morning. It was overcast but in the 30s, so it was decent weather for working outside. I put on boots and work gloves and spent the entire day outdoors puttering. I cleaned the small chicken coop, put down fresh shavings, and cleaned food and water bowls. It looked so nice when I was finished. Here are before-and-after pictures. 

Next, I picked up some windblown trash from the yard. On a whim, I lit a fire in the fire ring. I piled on branches from a bucket full of winter evergreen boughs, and the air was soon perfumed with spicy smoke. Scraps of cardboard got tossed on, too. I moved to the big coop and cleaned it out. Several hens were waiting to use the nest boxes to lay eggs, and they complained to me loudly. They stomped in and out of the coop, clucking fussily and giving me the stink eye. I tried to work fast. They filed in and presented me with a half dozen eggs as soon as I was done. 

I cleaned the yard more and sat at our picnic table, looking at the fire and planning what I'd like to accomplish in the gardens this year. I am excited because I can work without pain now that I have my excellent new knee, and the possibilities are exciting. Canada Geese winged overhead, calling their haunting song, urging me to get moving, too. 

Finally, I tackled the goat cozy. For the last two months, I have let hay pile up to create a deep layer of bedding to help the goats stay warm on cold nights. This worked well; the top layer of hay was clean and dry, but we found that underneath was heavy and wet as we cleaned. Thankfully, Chris helped me do some of the heavy lifting. We forked up six or seven huge loads of dirty shavings and hay and hauled them outside. We swept the floor and put down clean, bright shavings. The goats ran in and out excitedly, investigating our work and snorting as they breathed in the crisp pine scent.

Afterward, Chris and I sat by the fire for a little while, enjoying a glass of wine. It was chilly but an excellent harbinger of warm days to come.  As dusk gathered, the chickens filed into their coops and hopped up on their roosts, muttering contentedly. The goats gathered around their hay feeder, and I put bright spring bandanas on them. After their meal, they snuggled in their clean shavings. Tomorrow, it is supposed to rain and storm all day. I will be happy knowing all the animals have tidy homes where they can weather the storm.

March may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a month I cherish. The days get longer, and the sun feels warmer. Migratory birds return and begin to scout for mates and nests and try out their voices for the upcoming spring chorus. It is time to clean up after the long winter, celebrate births, joyously observe our anniversary, and begin to plan for gardening and summer projects.