There is a time

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: – Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything. There is a time for winter and there is a time for spring. Today the temperature reached over 60°F where I live and the sun shone brightly. Despite the bad news that surrounds us there is good news and there is new growth. The trees are budding and flowers are beginning to emerge from the earth. Children were riding their bicycles and sometimes the distance didn’t seem appropriate. Nonetheless I kept my distance and walked along. As I walked I prayed and tried to focus the energy of my prayers toward our planet and the people on it.

One of the blessings of today was to find a lovely crocus blooming along the trail that I walk. Crocuses come in many colors but my favorite is purple. There along the trail this morning was this lovely crocus inviting me to take its picture.

Sugar Snow

Sugar Snow

As March winds down, daytime temperatures rise into the thirties and forties. The winter snows recede each year. The rising temperatures bring sweet sap flowing from our maple trees and producers large and small tap our trees to harvest maple syrup. Thursday night mother nature graced us with some sugar snow. That’s what my folks called the special wet heavy snow that came in late March. It’s really a herald of the approaching spring. The storm Thursday night brought over six inches of fresh snow to our area. About this time of year I’m tired of snow but this storm produced an picture postcard image of the wooded area behind our home. The forecast calls for rising temperatures over the next week, so our sugar snow will be short lived.

This year’s Maple Syrup crop has been bountiful and local producers our content with their production. My father-in-law has produced over 200 gallons and I know of another local producer who has produced in excess of 600 gallons. Prices for this years maple syrup range from $39 to $45 per gallon. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVh-pWVvM-w]