Spring has arrived here at Early Bird Ranch. I know that we passed the calendar date for the first day of Spring--it's a memorable day for me, since it's the day I went into labor with Kevin Jr. But there's the calendar date, and then there's the unconscious knowledge that the seasons are changing. This year, they coincided pretty well.
For me, Spring has arrived when the grass begins to grow again. It greens up and almost overnight seems to go from hunkering down for winter storms and cold snaps to reaching mightily for the sun. It means we'll probably see cows at the house soon, since there's something for them to eat! It means we'll soon have just-fledged young chickens out stretching their legs and grazing, and happy hens clucking about making mazes in the grass (hopefully NOT hiding eggs--last year's Easter spent on a real egg hunt was enough for me).
This year we have a new way to enjoy the growth of grass--through Kevi's eyes. He's finally past the obsession with putting everything in his mouth, so I feel comfortable setting him on the ground outside. We still mostly do chores in the jogging stroller, which he thinks is a great way to tour the farm, but I decided to let him explore the new grass while I put up one of our electric nets that will soon house chickens. He was delighted by the new environment, as you can see.