Hyacinth and Primrose on their way!

We have more than a month to go before it’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  Maybe even longer than that before it feels like spring in Oysterville.  Nevertheless, our four chickens each produced an egg yesterday and I actually spent an hour in the garden getting rid of some of the winter’s ravages.  Plus, I’ve had a glimmering thought about searching for the dust rag.

My grandmother and her daughters always did a thorough spring cleaning and it wasn’t until I lived in this very same house that I understood (I think) what that was all about.  During the dark days of winter, the light levels inside are especially dim.  When I’m in my electricity-saving mode – which this winter has been extreme – it is nearly impossible to notice the build-up of dust and cobwebs.  Thank goodness!

Let the dusting begin!

But, as the days become longer and brighter, even my failing eyesight can detect the need for “deep cleaning” as I’ve heard it called these days.  And, reluctantly, I get the urge.  It’s right up there with that desire to get out and have at the flower beds.  The unfortunate part is that I seem to have the energy for one or the other, but not both.  And god forbid I should have something else important to do on a spring cleaning day or a gardening day.  The need to have at it, inside or outside, can disappear as quickly as it arrived.  In fact, entire seasons can go by before the desire stirs within me again.

I’d like to chalk that inattention up to another characteristic of waning winter: spring fever.  But, unless being easily distracted from chores is the octogenarian version of going all funny about romance and the opposite sex, I’m not sure that my diagnosis is exactly correct.  More like Old People’s ADD.

Breakfast!

Besides, it’s early yet.  I don’t even think the days have lengthened quite enough for those girls in the coop to be back to serious work.  Maybe their increased production level has something to do with this being the year of the rooster.  I don’t know exactly how the Chinese zodiac effects the hens of Oysterville, but one can’t discount that thought.

As for me… I was born in the year of the rat.  The general outlook in terms of luck are so-so.  Apparently, my luck prediction for 2017 shows that major concerns of this year should be peer relationship and work pressure. If not dealing with them properly, they may further influence the health condition of Rat people. But the upside is that their love life will go smoothly in general. Their luck in September and December would be flourishing while they may suffer a hard time in June and November.

Nor a word about spring cleaning or gardening.  Whew!  Off the hook once again.