the first green of spring

Really I saw the first green of spring on my way home from work.  I caught the express bus which drops me off on Snelling Avenue, then I walk past O'Garas to get home.  Saint Patrick's day gets bigger every year there- now there are porta-potties in the street and cars parked in strategic places with ads for energy drinks near the tents in the parking lot.  Lots of people with green wigs and leprechaun hats too.  I didn't get out to join the fun last night- but I did spot the first little tulips poking out of the ground.  I guess they're more red than green, but it's green enough for me.

Most of the yard near the south side of the house is melting off.  It's not pretty.  I started a retaining wall/ patio project in the back yard last winter, and it snowed early in November so my work stopped suddenly.  I found my winter hat that's been missing since then and my son's toy firetruck yesterday.  I also see that I still have a lot of work to do.

But at least the snow is melting.  This map is from NOAA's snow analysispage.  The red is melting snow.  For a while it seemed that the snow would only melt just south of the Iowa border.  I checked the maps on the NOAA page most days this March, and it just confirmed what could see out the window.  The snow was still there.   It kind of looked like a glacier was forming over the upper Midwest, but fortunately now that's on its way out.

Today's sunny, dry weather must not have been good for sap flow, however.  The maple sap bucket was bone dry when I came home.  Not a drop.  I don't know if I can blame the squirrels- do they drink maple sap?  Would the birds migrating back be stopping for a sip?  Is it just that the maple tree is getting old and didn't like the weather today?  I don't know, but I was bummed out that I wasn't going to get to add anything to our little mason jar of syrup we're filling in the fridge.  I'm hoping that this weekend's weather- more warmth, a little rain- will get it going again.