TheBanyanTree: It's FINALLY Spring in Alaska!

[snowgoose]

Last week, in spite of my dire predictions to wit Spring would never 
arrive . . . we noticed the first tiny buds on the branches of "Early 
Birch"; the white birch tree closest to our front porch and always the 
harbinger of Spring on our property.

Hope was revived. The next day it rained. Visually depressing, but much 
needed and surely better than snow. The welcome rain soaked into the 
ground to be devoured by greedy roots long dormant by Alaska's winter 
season.

The following day was clear and sunny. Dawn burst forth with salmon 
pinks and pale blues on the still snow topped mountains of the Talkeetna 
range north and east of our home at 5:50 AM. As soon as the sunlight and 
accompanying warmth reached out to touch our land, the transformation 
was almost miraculous . . . buds burst into leaf. Brownish pasture land 
was touched with green by mid morning and shimmering with new green 
shoots of grass by afternoon.

Within the next 24 hours, our view of Denali, much admired and enjoyed 
all winter while the trees stood leafless and bare, disappeared in a 
flurry of new life. Birds sing joyously as they temporarily desert bird 
feeders to feast on young buds and newly hatched insects (yeah . . . 
there are those, too . . .)

Wild rose bushes; seemingly dead, thorn covered sticks, suddenly abound 
with new, reddish colored buds and will surely be leafing out any day. 
Bay Berry bushes, one of the first to leaf, show off dark reddish Spring 
foliage. "Forget-Me-Not"s, a perennial ground cover and much loved 
wildflower in Alaska (our State flower), suddenly show new green leaves 
as they struggle up through the protective dead leaves of last year's 
plants. There are even buds on our Tundra Rose bushes (usually a late 
arrival)!

Spring in Alaska sometimes seems to hover on the edge of being for the 
longest time . . . frustrating and filled with mud and dead, composting 
leaves. But once it bursts forth, there is no stopping it! I've never 
lived anywhere else where Spring happens so suddenly. One day you are 
wondering if it will ever get here as you slog through the mud and 
eyeball the "dead" garden.  The next, you are admiring the beauty of 
green trees, fresh grass, mint and other hardy herbs as they peek 
cautiously from cracks in the rock garden, ferns popping up from the 
undergrowth in the forest and the promise of flowers . . . you can 
almost smell them!

Today, with temperatures in the 60s, I have been enjoying my Pygmy goats 
sunning themselves in a newly green pasture, nibbling fresh tips of new 
grass, glowing with newly shed out summer coats of silver, gray and 
reddish gold . . . such a nice contrast to the green grass. What a 
beautiful sight after a long winter. The birch trees inside the pasture 
are greening quickly and will shade them when it gets warmer yet. The 
willow trees safely beyond their reach outside the fencing are budding 
and about to leaf. "Goat Rock", a huge boulder in the doe pen, is warm 
and tempting. I'm sure the goats would be up on it right now if our LGD, 
a large white Great Pyr named "Buran", hadn't already claimed it. He is 
stretched out full length across it in obvious, if temporary oblivion to 
all else.

In the buck pen on the other side of the barn, I can see my two bucks, 
sliver/gray and black coats gleaming, playing "King of the Mountain" on 
the rocky 6' high hill in the middle of their pen. Obviously enjoying 
the sunshine, I imagine they'll stay outside all day, except for short 
diversions to the barn for hay and water. The barn shades part of their 
outside pen all morning and trees shade part of the pen during the 
afternoon. They can pick sun or shade all day long - and this time of 
year usually pick SUN!

I could go on indefinitely . . . the advent of Spring brings out the 
ramble in me. But nature calls and I must answer - it's time to go 
outside and play!!

Happy Spring!
-Deb

-- 
Deb Frost / snowgoose
Spring Promise Pygmies; Meadow Lakes, Alaska
dfrost at customcpu.com
http://www.customcpu.com/dfrost/mypage.htm
Pygmy owner since 1976, breeder since 1988
Member NPGA since 1991

 We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark;
 The real tragedy of life is when adults are afraid of the light.
 
                     - - Plato