February Thaw

With two straight days of a little sunshine and above freezing temperatures the lane has transformed from a luge track to a mix of mud and ice. Even the postman remarked about the big improvement. Steeper that it appears in the photograph, some people would still just say no to heading up this hill. The glossy shine along the right edge is hard smooth treacherous ice.

Once you get around the curve by the big cherry tree the lane looks even better. Only the top surface is muddy. Newly contoured gravel fill is keeping runoff water in the ditches. Things are really quite firm. The thawing of the driveway and the tapping of sugar maple trees are sure signs of spring .

Check out this promising looking planting bed. The snow has completely melted here. How interesting! This spot has never beeen shoveled or plowed. It's not a place where the wind blows the snow away. It is the area directly over the septic tank. I guess hot showers and laundry provide bottom heat like the fresh manure in the bottom of an old style cold frame. Perhaps with some outside the box thinking, we can use this to our advantage. In the meantime it sure is nice to see some nice brown dirt!