I am excited to see the snow drops blossoming along the brook. Snow drops are the first signs of spring on our property. Green foliage pushes up through the snow and the little white flowers greet the viewer. Snow has melted off the rocks and a lush green moss is exposed. Water, snow, flowers, moss all work together to create a tranquil landscape introducing spring.
Living in the woods is comparable to living in a different time zone from our neighbours. The root system and canopy slows the snow melting process. After the neighbours’ daffodils fade ours begin to bloom. It is frustrating seeing the colourful flowers arrive late but it is also a bonus. It means that we can enjoy daffodils twice as long.
Each fall I have planted daffodil bulbs in the woods to add colour to the drab decaying leaves when spring arrives. The flowers die down and fade into the landscape and as they don’t have to be dug up each fall they are very low maintenance. The bright yellow faces are cheerful after the long winter and they dance in wild abandon when the spring breezes blow through the woods.
Not all the spring changes are fun. Winds have littered the lawns with twigs and branches to be raked. The snow plough has pushed gravel onto the grass. Lots of cleanup to be organized. The rakes, shovels and leave blower are standing by ready to take on the tasks. The reward for this work is witnessing the lawns and flowerbeds awaken to welcome spring.
The brook which cascades down to ‘Spring Creek’ gathers garbage from the roadside. It is fed from ditches and a spring above our property. Pop cans and plastic blown out of recycle bins are washed down and I spend time gathering the garbage before it enters the larger waterway. I once retrieved a toy sail boat floating along the brook on its own journey to the creek.
As the waters rise they flood the creek field; or ‘crick’ field as I always heard it said while growing up; some unusual items are washed ashore. The most unusual being a bridge; yes a bridge. The rushing waters had caused the wooden structure to break free up-stream. A curve in the creek and a log snagged the bridge and pushed it onto the bank. A few weeks later a neighbour came calling to retrieve his bridge.
As the waters flow and flowers bud we spend our days watching spring unfold. This will be our last spring in the woods and we will savour each day.
Notes from Napanee 
LOVE LOVE LOVE these wonderful musings recounting treasured memories of your time living in the ‘Five Acre Woods’ Lillie. What a wonderful way to document and share your memories…and to have them in print for your children and grandchildren! Hope you are also taking photos to accompany each of these memories too! Can’t wait for your next trip down memory lane! SOOO happy that you are doing this! BRAVO girlfriend 🙂
Oh I love the word “crick” it brings back memories of my youth where we lived near a “crick” a word that I have not heard in many a year. The recycle boxes spilling into the streets then heading to the water makes me wonder what recycling means when I see that. Your words make me realize spring must be very close and that makes me happy. Great descriptive writing. B
I can see the whistfulness in your writing–how much you will miss your “country home”, but you show how much you are enjoying each day there now–living in the moment. That is so important. While your Notes look back, you are also looking forward and showing the new beginnings of spring. How wonderful!
I could “see” the crick flowing along and the unwanted garbage, bridges and a toy boat. I could also feel the wind and see the flowers breaking through the wet earth. What wonderful musings of your property waking up after a long winter.