Spring Abounds

Tomorrow, Sunday, March 20, 2011 is officially the first day of spring.  As I’ve stated in the past, it is my opinion it ought to be the first day of a new year.  The dying snow banks of last year’s winter are nearly gone, melting into oblivion, and good riddance.  This new year is alive with new hope for a better tomorrow.  Red Wings, Robins, Geese, and a myriad of other sorts of birds are returning from their winter hiatus in parts unknown, but probably much warmer than we were subjected to here in the northcountry.  Life is good.

Friday, March 18^th, I spotted these geese swimming and feeding in a small stream nearby.  I stopped my vehicle in an attempt to snap a few photos actually believing they would depart before I could get my camera into action, but I guess they were tired from their long flight, and they continued to swim and eat.  For those of you that might read this from our more southern climes, let it be known your winter guests arrived safely.

In the evening of the same day, an Amish draft wagon happened by our residence.  This gentleman, whom I do not know, has passed our home six days a week for a couple of years now.  He cuts cedar fence posts from other folk’s land, draws them home, and sells them.  He cuts what are available from one person’s groves, and then moves on to another.  Three or four times a week he passes with a new load of posts.

Taking a second look, you might notice that the horse on the far side in this photo is larger than the near one.  Also it can be reasoned that the larger horse is next to oncoming automobile traffic.  It must take a brave, or very stupid, horse to face those huge metal monstrosities coming at them at such terrible speeds.  This Amish, and that large horse, have been together for at least the past couple of years, and possibly far longer, but the horse on the near side changes periodically.  I reasoned that the Amish man uses the large black horse, to train other horses for road work.  His big black is steady as a rock in traffic, causing the newer smaller horse to learn that it will not hurt it (hopefully).  Even if the smaller horse was to get excited the larger horse can hold it from bolting.  All Amish horses that are used on asphalt roads have steel shoes attached to their hooves that leave scratched tracks in the road as they pass.  Yes, those are steel wheels.  Rubber tires are a no-no for this branch of Amish.

When this gentleman first started coming by our home, he had a very small boy with him, no more than a couple of years old.  Day after day, my wife or I would wave to the boy, but he always shyly hid his face.  Now he doesn’t come any more, so he must have started school.  The Amish in this area have their own school system of one-room schools.  Although they are required to pay school taxes, as are all state residents, they get no benefit of their money spent in that manner.