Early (False?) Spring

Perhaps we will have an early spring this year; admittedly, March is a week away, and anything can happen in this season--still. . . .

All in all, the last few days have been delightful--or, as a colleague of mine put it, "frightening" (though she admitted she was very happy about the mild winter). The snow under close-planted trees, never deep, vanished as the temperature topped +4°.

The snowshoe trail has grown soggy and pitted; everywhere the sun touches it softens up. Snowshoes are too awkward but boots punch holes in the weakening crust. Valla seemed surprised to find a considerable amount of open water at Panama; this was a frozen clearing last year at this time. 

We drove Northwest to Miramichi for an auction, and although the roads were covered with treacherous slush, the snow grew gradually wetter as the day wore on. We could see whole fields almost free of snow, with stubble sticking up through the thin covering. Clearly, the thaw has been even more effective along the coast. While the driving was not good, it was never dangerous (apart from a moment when a car tore through an intersection at speed, nearly ripping off the front end of the van). We stopped by the Greens', and Dave confirmed that the wood of the standing secretary desk (don't know what else to call it) is butternut. By the time we reached home, the snow had become a light drizzle. Today the melt continues; for the last two hours, it has been raining gently, puddles have formed under the trees, and the little Crick is largely open. 

The truck has been sitting on a sheet of ice next to the workshop since I parked it in late December. Today with the aid of the thaw and a large bag of sand, I actually managed to get it unstuck, clawing my way forward until I hit the remaining snow. It is dense and wet but only about 8 inches deep. If this keeps up, I will be able to drive away quite easily. Last March 14 we had nearly three feet of snow in the woods--I can't wait to see what this year's accumulation will amount to. It looks as though our firewood will last out the season after all. We've burned less of everything: wood, oil, and pellets. Prices on all fuels are down this year as well. Yup--definitely frightening.