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2003-03-15 - 12:53 p.m.

It’s a pleasant day in northern Missouri. After what seems like an eternity of dull and tedious days, the sun has returned with a warming and healing radiance that is much appreciated.

With temperatures in the upper 60s, we’ll be a comfortable 35 degrees warmer than we’ve been in months—a sweltering 45 degrees warmer than last Saturday when a few of the diehards lounged in an outdoor hot tub. The isolated snow pockets sheltered by the heavy timber will melt away, and the mild breeze will drive away the polar bite of winter. A great day to be outside, albeit in sweatshirt and sweatpants, but there’ll be no need for weighty winter coat or woolen gloves.

Although the ground is too soggy yet to fire up the John Deere and mulch the heavy layer of oak leaves covering my yard, I can begin the spring chore of picking up limbs knocked from trees by the blustery winter winds. A full day’s job. Still, just for the hell of it, I might fire up the John Deere and ride it up and down my driveway.

My woodpile, stacked haphazardly in the fall, is now an even more chaotic mess. Stacking the leftovers into a more pleasing hodgepodge of logs needs to be done before the opening of snake season. Once we’re deep into the spring I won’t fool around out there; the tangled mess will be left to the snakes.

Leaves need to be raked from a little butterfly garden and also a small hummingbird garden northwest of the house. That chore is also on my early spring cleanup list, before the opening of snake season. By mid-April comes my motto: Do not put your hands--or any other part of your body--in places snakes can live.

Although I use my grill throughout the year, I don’t take myself out in the freezing temperatures to clean it, and it has several months to build up a thick layer of greasy muck. That grimy chore, and probably installing a new burner, is also on my list of to dos. That job, however, may wait until after I grill steaks for tonight’s dinner.

I should spread spring weed and feed to build and strengthen my lawn, but I neglected to buy fertilizer when in town last week and I have no desire to clean up and make a Saturday kamikaze run through Wal-Mart. I can put that on next week’s list and hope I remember to take the damned list with me.

It’s too early yet to bring the front porch and deck furniture out of storage. But with the afternoon sun warming the front porch it’s not too early to park myself on a step and drink a beer!

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” -- Proverb From Guinea

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