Spring really is coming, despite high winds and almost zero last night (albeit with a lovely moon and stars).  The horse is shedding vigorously, the birds are contemplating nest building, and beneath the hydrangea next to the west stairs where there is SW exposure, heavy foundations, and little snow cover there are one or two crocus determined to come up.  I think there may also be some snowdrops coming up through the snow over under one of the hemlocks as well.

I have yet to get the three apple trees and the overgrown yew on the west lawn pruned into shape, an annual haircut that usually happens in February.  Maybe I’ll get to work on them tomorrow.

I did have lovely scramble through the woods this morning looking for a property line for the Land Trust.  It was about 12, overcast, and dead calm.  Excellent for the work, because half the line was in a swamp which is impassable in the summer.  It was frozen solid.  On the other hand… the other half was up one of those New England hillsides that is composed of rock falls and determined trees.  We were wishing for crampons at several points….the snow, like the swamp, was frozen solid, hard enough for a man to walk across, and icy.  Traction was minimal.  We came down a different route!