Transitioning to Spring in the Southern U. S.

Some people say that the ground hog is a good teller for
 the coming of spring.  Form me it is the dandelion.
 It is the true harbinger  of spring in our part of the
country. (Flowers and tender young greens are great
in a salad...try it sometime)

Across most of the country it is winter but, here in Mississippi we are beginning our transition to spring of the year.  To say that our weather is unpredictable this time of year is like saying the sun rises in the morning. That goes with out saying.

Saturday, Dre' and I went to the season opener for Florence High School baseball.  You would expect that to be a nice spring day.  It wasn't.  The day was cold and blustery.  The temperature was in the upper 30s and the wind was, too.  The good thing was there was not a single wisp of a cloud in the sky all day.  The  bad thing was the wind never let up.  It was cold.  The boys of spring scored first in the first game and won it handily 50-1.  The JV game did not go as well and then the second game of the double header ended in a tie.  All-in-all it was a great day for baseball.  Any day is a great day for baseball in my eyes.

Back to the spring transition.  Last week I saw my first robin on its way back up north.  It and a friend were poking around for worms.  I saw one on Tuesday and have seen at least one each day since then.

Robin redbreast.

The temperature here today is in the 60s and expected to stay there all day since the wind is blowing briskly out of the southwest. A southwest wind usually brings rain this time of year and this time it is no different. The rain is supposed to start here around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon and continue with increasing intensity through out the night. Early this morning I went and bought hay for the horses and placed it in the pasture for them.  They always seem excited when I arrive with hay.  It is sort of like bringing suckers or candy to the kids.  They are excited to see it when it arrives and then settle into a more regular routine of eating, drinking and sleeping the day away. I guess it is not exactly the same.  They don't end up asleep on the floor with a sucker stuck in their hair but it is sort of similar...they do get excited about it. I think it is just the security of having hay available all of the time that gives them a "warm and fuzzy" feeling in their bellies. This time of year is fix-up and clean-up time in the country.  I had a short in the electrical system in my truck that was making it less than dependable in the cranking category but, I repaired that yesterday and it cranks first time, every time now.  It was an easy fix but it is always tough to take the time to fix it.  I also worked on the tailgate.  I had a panel that shaking and rattling as I rode down the road.  It is now repaired, too.

Wild flowers and weeds showing up all around us.

Yesterday afternoon I got out and cranked the old chainsaw and worked on clearing off the place for the new chicken coop and yard that I am planning to build.  We have decided that with the cost of everything rising so rapidly that it would be a good idea to have our own laying hens.  We think we want about 15 or 20 of them and they will be strictly for laying not for meat.  These ladies when they get here will get the royal treatment.  I plan on getting some already laying hens and some pullets to start on their road to maturity.  We are all excited about the possibility of raising our own eggs and having a few more animals around to share the place with.

Today is a holiday but I stayed home to work and am actually taking a lunch break now to update my blog. I had hoped to take the day off but with the iffy weather I decided to work from home all day.  Lunch hour is about over and I need to get back to work so, I hope that spring is on its way to where ever you are.

I am always writing and would really like to hear from you.  Email me sometime and tell me what you think of my blog.  You can also follow me on twitter @acountryjournal .