My Life on the Mississippi
April 2024
April 2024
Even if the month begins with some remnants of snow, it is, after all, April, “the cruelest month” as T.S. Eliot would have us believe in his poem, The Wasteland.
It is not so much the beginning of the month, but the ending that we treasure. There may be several days where the overnight temperature dips below freezing after we get our hopes up for spring, but eventually we get to the first flowers, the plants sprouting and buds everywhere. And there is rain, just a bit so far, but more coming soon.
First the forsythia.
Then the bloodroot
And the rhododendron budding
And finally, the rhubarb.
And there is the spring work, getting rid of the spring leaves (we have a yard full of oaks which often keep their leaves too long). There is the removal of tarps, the lawn and deck furniture to get out, the grill to set up, the rain gauge up, the cars to de-winterize, putting away snow scrapers and salt. There is putting out the summer paraphernalia-wind chimes, hoses, door mats, yard tools, solar lights.
We see birds returning. We see eagles and hawks. We see robins, yellow rumped warblers, loons, and the finches change into their summer gold.
We see swans often flying up the river in the morning.
And the turkeys are ready to mate.
We see the river beginning to look like spring. We see fewer clouds and more sun.
We see the wonderful full moon.
April can be cruel, but here on my Mississippi, it is full of hope and renewal.
