So It Is Spring, Really??

This is the year of the never ending winter.   Just when we were beginning to see a few patches of grass in the yard, we got dumped on yesterday with another 5 inches of heavy wet snow.   It has been very difficult for us to do maple syrup this year.  The snow in the woods is deep - almost a foot deep - and getting around to tap trees and collect sap has been more work than pleasure.   We usually just take our little Lo-Boy tractor and a 55 gal drum around on the paths to collect sap, but this year we have to take the big tractor loader and chain the 55 gal drum to the bucket.  Even with chains on the tractor, it is hard to get around in the woods.   On Sunday we collected about 80 gallons of sap, so today Harold is boiling up the sap into finished syrup.  We boiled last week and got 9 pints of finished syrup.  But the season has lots of time yet, so we will get more sap, for sure.   The weather guys keep telling us that "warmer weather is coming", then they change the forecast.   Now we are supposed to get MORE snow this weekend! 
     Here's what our yard looks like as of today.  Harold has to dig the firewood out of the snow, too. 

Harold checking on the sap boiling in the evaporator.  You can see how much snow we have to fight this year for the maple season!

Just a few days ago we had actual patches of grass showing in the yard.   This new snow was not needed!

Even the cats are wandering around wondering where spring is!  Their house is just about buried in snow.

The trumpeter swans and geese are coming back, but there's no open water for them!  The lakes and ponds are still frozen over.

It may be snowy outside, but inside my living room things are growing!  I am SO anxious to get out into the greenhouse and gardens!

I have many trays of veggies and flowers growing nicely.   It cheers me up to see green things growing again!

Lots of green pepper plants.   This is a new variety called King of the North.  I usually grow King Arthur, but these peppers are supposed to grow better in colder climates like we have up here in northern MN.   I have to wonder why pepper varieties always use the word "King" in the title?  Must be psychology to make you think these plants are better??