Spring Has Come to the Creek

As some of you know, my husband and I moved across the state last year. Going from a city of several million people to a village of barely 1,300 has been quite an adjustment. I miss my conveniences, like GrubHub deliveries and fresh sushi. However, country life has improved 110% now that it’s finally spring.

Our property is bordered by Lake Creek, which to my husband’s delight, is a designated trout stream. He’s seen his share of brown trout, but has yet to catch one. I’m more interested in the local flora. For the past thirty-five years, I’ve been a city girl so I’m very unfamiliar with the plants. However, I’m learning, and I was delighted to find forsythia blooming along the water.

[image error]We also have our share of wildlife. Every day there are fresh deer tracks in the mud along the creek. My husband also spotted these astonishing prints the other day. He said he didn’t know what made them, but he sure hoped it was friendly. (We believe it was a great blue heron.)[image error]

Other guests aren’t so welcome. Take the groundhog who has burrowed into our hill only a few feet from our newly-planted garden. In the past, we’ve dealt with rabbits but nothing as large as the groundhog. I’m fine with him as long as he doesn’t touch my tomatoes, but my husband thinks when the garden is growing, Mr. Groundhog will be feasting, so we’re going to have to find ways to make him leave.[image error]

I knew that spring in the country would be miraculous, and now that winter is finally over I’m glad to see that it’s true.