Reflections on the Ninth Week of Spring

Like a farmer, Spence checks the weather. Will it be dry enough to mow, cool enough to weed, or warm enough to set out tomatoes? He also watches for frost advisories predicting temperature dips to the mid or low thirties. Friday, he got a freeze warning–temperatures below 32° for an extended time. After dinner I helped him cover strawberries then went inside because I was getting cold. He stayed out to put sheets of plastic and garbage bags over blueberries, cherries, and pawpaws. He also carried in trays of squash, pumpkin, tomato, pepper, and cucumber seedlings. “Don't eat my plants,” he told the cats. They obeyed till 5:00 Saturday morning when pawing and whimpering failed to fill the food bowl. Emma nibbled squash leaves. Spence got up. I waited till 7:30, grabbed my camera, pulled on winter gear, and stepped outside to the sun rising over treetops. Frost coated milkweed leaves, grass blades, and cottonwood fluff. Frost coated wisteria vines, girasole leaves, and pansy faces. Blueberry branches nestled against the plastic lost leaves and blossoms. Other fruit survived untouched. I helped Spence fold tarps. He said, “When you finish weeding and mulching the strawberries, we need to cover the bed with netting to protect berries from the birds.”