You may have noticed it, or not, but the birds have been singing songs of spring. Some of us think the American Robin is the harbinger of this most welcome season, but seeing Robins in January leaves me unconvinced. And a quick bit of research revealed that American Robins are the proverbial early birds, as the males (the vanguard of the sexes), usually precede the females to stake out their territory. The Robin’s song sounds like a bird being, excuse the expression, goosed!

But, when I hear the Redwing Blackbird song, I will know that Spring has arrived for sure.

Despite Spring’s tentative arrival, it is time to sow onions. I am sowing nearly 4,000 seeds today for my Grant Study that, though slightly sized down, will go on this year at Turtleback Farm.

Varieties have been chosen for their long-storage capabilities: Cortland which is a medium yellow type and Red Wing, which is similarly sized red, and coincidentally named!

A thick blanket of snow covers the ground as far as the eye can see, yet signs of spring are everywhere: lust inspired birdsong, swelling tree buds, snowdrops, now under 20” of snow! All living things rise slowly from their chilly slumber with the lengthening days. Hope springs eternal.