In the Backyard Neighborhood: February 1

On the first day of the year, the backyard was experiencing a mild day, one in keeping with our rather temperate Winter.  Last weekend’s massive snowfall changed that up quite a bit, with nearly three feet of snow on this corner.  Just a week later, there’s been plenty of melting, thanks to some sunny days and the return of Winter mildness.  Yesterday, the sun shone and the temperature rose to nearly 60 degrees.  It’s not often that I drive with the window cracked when there is snow on the ground, but that seems to be the kind of Winter we are having.

Piles of white snow can be deceiving so it's hard to know how much of the icy white crystals remain. But it was more than I wished to brave, so all the pictures were made from the back deck.

Even when it’s cold and snowy, I find February to be a lovely month.  Sixteen years ago, a sweet baby was born to me in February.  Its 28 days feel that much closer to the arrival of Spring.  Even this year, with an extra day of Winter, there is a tantalizing sense of seasonal change just around the corner.  This corner of the yard is drinking in the snow, getting ready for some Spring blooms.

That’s happy!