Signs of Spring.... Finally

Schools were closed two days last week throughout our region due to heavy wet snow!  Yet just today I have risked taking my Jeep out of 4WD ~ hopefully until next October.  Our inland lakes are still frozen solid yet the ice is looking a little grey in color instead of solid stark white.  Rain is predicted for the next few days so that should reduce the piles of plowed snow and break up the ice.

In the meantime, we had a bright day yesterday and I took a photo of pussy willows... a sure sign of green leaves to come.  My Hellebore or Lenten Rose always pops through the snow all budded and it is beautiful this year... pinks and deep purple...very sturdy plant and the deer won't eat it.  I have one little patch of crocus about to open and these the deer WILL eat happily.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the deer will forget this year and we can enjoy the blooms.

Maple Syrup Time

It is finally looking like spring here in the north.  A sunny day Friday and no commitments meant my husband and I were off for a drive to Leelanau County ~ which is the "little finger" of Michigan if you look at the back of your left hand and wiggle your pinkie finger.

The buckets in the thick maple woods at Pa Brown's were over-flowing with that sweet sap that will become delicious maple syrup.  Icicles were dripping off the buckets in the morning sun.  I like the ingenious corrugated lids that keep the fresh sap clean.

The colors of Grand Traverse Bay approaching Omena Bay were so gorgeous, I couldn't resist one more picture.  How many pictures of the lakes have I taken over the years?  Many, many....
All in all, it was a lovely day with a forecast of snow / rain mix to come on Saturday.  We were not disappointed.  A good covering of snow mid-Saturday convinced me it was safe to burn the
Christmas tree in the beach fire pit.  It's my usual spring equinox tradition to burn the tree on the first day of spring, but the tree was buried under snow then.  Better late than never!  Welcome spring!