Outside at Last by Susan l.

  Yesterday was a perfect day to get out and do some yard cleanup. There were lots of branches down because of the ice storm this winter. I hadn't done much dead heading in the fall so there was that to do as well. The chickadees enjoyed feasting on the Black-eyed Susans this winter; must remember not to cut them off.  I raked a bit where the sand dumped on the lawn by the plough was choking the grass. I was able to do a burn. The smell of wood smoke was a hint of summer evenings. The place looks a lot better. Neglect sure leaves a mark.
  It's nice to see signs of life. The rhubarb is bulging. The new growth is a brilliant pink accented with tones of fuchsia. It pops out against the drab brown of earth and dead grass. There are pockets of sweet green at the base of the sedum. My peonies have small burgundy shoots starting to emerge. Oh, the missing cedars have poked their heads out of the snow seemingly none the worse for wear. I'm not sure if my newly planted butterfly bush has survived. It looks like mice have nibbled the bark around its base. I'll leave it for now and hope for the best. Hyacinth and crocuses are well up. It won't be long until they flower. There's some flowering already in the middle of the back yard where the sun shines all day. They must have been in the compost used to top up the vegetable garden before I seeded it over.
  It's hard to fathom that there is so much life beginning so quickly when less than two weeks ago, everything was still buried under snow. I wonder what surprises will be out there. Something usually shows up in the garden that I never planted. Forget-me-nots blew in from the neighbour's garden. A type of native fern appeared one year. Tiny cedars and pines sprout up from seed. Weeding becomes a treasure hunt.
  There's still the gardens beneath the trees to do but they are still buried under snow and ice. That's okay. My body reminds me I've got winter muscles and what I did yesterday was plenty.
  "Sing out the honour of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are your works!" Ps 66:2-3