'Tween Season

The Spring routine began a few weeks ago, but ramped up this week. Yard work began with the raking up of those scattered leaves, and twigs. The chain saw made an appearance for a bit, and several barrels of harvested small branches, and such, were were dumped down back.

The ground smells great, and the grass is greening up from the pale brown and yellow of early March. Now, taking the truck to the car wash is more of a treat than a necessity.

The nursery doesn't have all the flats of flowers available just yet. Some Petunias, and a few other hardy ones are available, but we're not quite ready for planting everything. No, not quite yet. There could still be a frost. WalMart doesn't have the big bags of Turf Builder either. It may be in the 70's, but on the store calendar it isn't time yet. Which is strange since WalMart rushes every season by at least three months. I heard Christmas carols in WalMart on September 29th, 2009. No joke.

Meanwhile, everyone is tapping their feet in the parking lot. Impatiently waiting for the Turf Builder, and flower delivery.

Maybe next week.

Mary put the top down to her car for the commute home from Route 2, and once she was home we left it down for a ride over to Howards Drive-in in West Brookfield.

On Easter Sunday we drove over to Westview Dairy in Monson, but they were closed, and won't be opening until April 16th. Seems that like WalMart, some places will be playing catch-up this season. Even the miniature horses at Sawmill River Farm in West Brookfield were nowhere to be found.

But, this time of the year, the time between actual Mud Season, and Mid Spring is a great time of the year. It's 'Tween Season, somewhere between winter and real spring. Nothing major being done just yet, the yearly routine is still hatching, and with each chore accomplished, the major things just fall into place on their own. It is a fleeting season.

It's like batting practice. We're all warming up slowly.

Hot coffee's at Dunkin's are forgotten for the season on Opening Day, and ice coffee takes its place until October. New wipers are put on the car and truck, and they'll be there until the coffee becomes hot again. These are things I have control over, and not relying on someone else's calendar.

New tulips have broken ground, and their leaves are four to six inches high. We're waiting for their announcement of color. I have no idea what we planted where. I like surprises.

In the next couple of weeks, the grass will be much greener, the Scotts delivery will be in, the dairies and drive-in's will all be open, the miniature horses will be gallivanting around their paddocks, the tulips will be open and their petals licking the spring air, the truck will be shiny, and the top will be down on the Solara for a run to some far off clam shack in Worcester County.

In the beginning it takes Spring a little while to get its act together, but things do fall into place, and by the time the leaves are half way out, we'll be on track towards summer.