Saturday was sunny and 45 degrees. The daffodils near the house are blooming! I cut some forsythia to see if it will bloom this week inside. The fish are still happily swimming in the pond and as I was walking around, I discovered the white Lenten Rose blooming! in time for Lent! Sometime this past week the oil man came and filled the tank to about 13/16ths full. I couldn't find a bill anywhere, will talk to ARM to make sure she received one in the mail. Bob and I plan to spend Easter weekend at Thicut inside (cleaning cobwebs and muddy floors) and outside (cleaning up twigs and branches in the yard and walking in the woods) in preparation for Anna Ruth's return.

St Patrick's Day and the fish are alive and 'swimmin'. We had a terrific rain storm over the weekend, and sometime the power went out because the stove clock was blinking. I reset all clocks and light timers. No limbs/trees down, so I guess the wind was not too bad. The daffodils are up about 3 inches, forsythia tightly closed still. We're supposed to have wonderfully warm weather this week, so I'm looking forward to more life!

Spring is springing! The temperature is 59 degrees; a bakers' dozen fish, plus a beautiful orange baby with a black tail swim merrily in the pond! The two dead ones were a good meal for some lucky animal (or snake?) because they were nowhere in sight. I did pull out the pump filter which was floating on top of the water and when I walked around the yard, I found the 'barley ball' (?) that was floating in the pond last year to deter pond scum. Did a raccoon scoop it out and decide it wasn't good to eat? It was all the way behind the large rock east of the pond. I retrieved it and left it next to the pond. I fed the fish and stood watching them for quite a while: mesmerizing. the daffodils are about an inch to inch and a half out of the ground by the garage. I couldn't resist clearing the leaves around some clumps.

It's definitely looking and feeling less like winter and more like SPRING! The sun is out, the snow is gone and the ice in the pond is only tiny pieces. Unfortunately there are 2 large goldfish floating on the surface! Too bad! I didn't see any other fish at all. Hopefully that means the little ones are still sleeping peacefully on the bottom. The temperature is almost 50 degrees F and I was so tempted to open up the doors and windows and let some fresh air in. I opened the blinds in the solarium to let the sun on the plants. The ground wasn't quite so muddy/squishy today. Lady enjoyed herself and the car (Bert again) didn't get as dirty :) There are reports of snowdrops in Guilford, no evidence at Thicut, yet...

The oil tank reads about 5/16. I think that will be enough until Anna Ruth comes in April. I HOPE we don't have much more cold weather ahead!

Just a quick check up: the 7+ inches of snow is melting fast, the road is muddy and grass is showing through on the yard: Lady dashed around in the snow and got Bert's seats a bit muddy on the way home. The plants inside look a little unhappy, they're ready for more sun, I think. Nothing major, just not perky. Bob says maybe they miss being talked to... Bob and I pruned some of the overhanging bushes at the bridge so they don't brush the car as we go by. Spring's only a month away!

In the midst of winter, cactus blooms!

Yesterday, Eric V. and I met at Thicut to meet an electrician to look at and fix the water heater fuse. He came right on time (9am), diagnosed the problem, replaced the double fuse switch and was finished in 15 minutes. We turned off the water heater; he said Anna Ruth should see a noticeable reduction in her electric bill. HOPE SO!

There was snow in the yard (about an inch) and the road had been plowed. I shoveled a path the the door easily.

The oil tank still reads 3/8 full, plants look good, everything seems secure. Here in Glastonbury the snow was mostly melted by afternoon. BUT:

Today we have about 5 inches of new snow! and more predicted. I am almost ready to have winter be done. But the trees are so beautiful with their dressing of snow.

To answer Paul's comment about what/why/how land management plan is:

This is what I understand the history is: Chuck Masters initiated the process of preserving the land around Thicut (with Eric V) by selling the development rights to the Forest Legacy Program, meaning the deed has been changed to prohibit developing 'forever' on a designated part of the property. (all of it except the roughly 20 acres around the house). However, one of the stipulations of the program is to have a management plan for the forest. Connwoods was hired back about 10 years ago to create the plan. It was a 10 year plan to maintain a healthy forest/get rid of invasive species, etc.This is why there was logging back in early 2000s: and why a company was hired to spray the barberry several years back. Rob Rocks is the forester who 'checks up' on landowners who have land in this and other national programs and reminded Eric V. and Anna Ruth that it was time to update/redo this plan. They hired Connwoods again. Eric V. was trying to get some government help in paying for the plan, hence the introduction of WHIP. It's not outrageously expensive, but when Eric V. heard that there might be funds (national/state) to help pay for this sort of thing, he investigated. It looks like that is now not going to happen.

Just to be clear on the property: Eric V. and Anna Ruth own all the property in Forest Legacy together, Anna Ruth owns the house and about 10 acres around it, Eric V. owns about 10 acres adjacent to Anna Ruth's and across the driveway over Lady Brook way.