Snow Day

It began Saturday afternoon, lightly at first, then a blizzard by Tennessee proportions. When it was all said and done, we had about five inches with ten to twelve for our neighboring counties to the south. For some odd reason known only to the weather gods, our heaviest snows tend to come at the end of winter and beginning of spring just when you think it's safe to plant something like I did. Daddy says the broccoli and spinach will do just fine, thankyouverymuch. I'm counting the days until I see the first asparagus spear. Cutting fresh asparagus is as close to heaven as one can get in the garden. My ex-husband, bless his heart, put that bed in some eight years ago and it still bears proudly every April.

Since one of the horses died, the pasture on the garden side of my old house will be stripped of fencing and planted in crops this year. There's plenty of pasture on the other side for ornery Mr.Pride who still grazes and escapes any chance he gets, just for the sport of being bribed back into the lot with sweet feed. He is an adoptee, taken in after his owner could no longer afford the pasture rental. His road dog Trapper died last year and he went into a deep mourning period that lasted for months. It amazes me how animals can bond like that....sort of like humans.

There are still large spots of snow clinging to the dead grass, especially in sheltered areas. It's odd yet beautiful to see the white and black on green as the current crop of calves grazes on winter wheat. Everybody knows you can't fence 'em in when they're determined that the grass is greener on the other side. Just like a kid, ya know?