Spring is Here

 Well, of course it depends on your definition of spring. Snow still blankets the ground but bright warm sun fills our house and melts the roof, drip drip. Above Princess Spring battles King Winter, and ya know she always wins eventually.

Last week I helped put on a Spring Equinox celebration for Children of the Boreal, our Waldorf influenced home-school cooperative. In advance a girlfriend and I got together and made pussy willow nests, dyed eggs with onion skins wrapped around them among various other tasks. For the celebration we had a Time walker story accompanied by drumming and performed by an adult time walker. The children planted calendula and sunflower seeds in egg shells and had their faces painted. My children are still talking about how the feast was the best feast ever! The kids got to take home a "branch of spring"; a pussy willow branch tied with a pastel ribborn, an egg candle and a water color painting with a spring poem called Mother Earth Secrets.
 

 Eggs dyed with onion skins

And on the right, non dyed eggs from the Welsummers and Ameraucanas

 

 Here is a nest with Avery's beeswax egg candle and her Imbolc blessing.

 Seasonal Spring Table. I adore it!

 Avery so carefully helping in the kitchen.

 This weekend we went to the North American Dog Races. We have friends that have an Arctic BBQ each year and it has become a family tradition for us to join them. This was the warmest, least windiest day I can remember looking back at past years. (I think I must have had a smudge on the camera lens).

We have spent most the month of March battling one cold and then another. Thankfully despite having colds this week, the kids have been in good spirits. They decided it was time to ditch the snow pants and wear their water pants outside this week. I sat on our south facing back porch almost every afternoon during the heat of the day while the roof dripped and the kids played. One day I pulled out my banjo and tried to play but I did have to tune it twice in the space of just a few minutes. 

Due to a sinus infection that just won't go away, I haven't had much extra energy. D has been gone this week so meals have been simple. I am feeling behind on spring cleaning and seed starting, but there will be time to catch up after I regain my strength. Today I am setting eggs to hatch a few days before Easter. We have two weeks till the first goat kids are due. Almost time to put up the kidding panels and plug in the tv/goat stall surveillance camera. New udders are forming on at least one if not both doelings as well as a yearling. I think we have three if not four does kidding in the space of a week. So Exciting!

May your days be filled with sun, warmth, inspiration and energy!