A Time of Waiting

The days are pretty much filled with the usual chores and general mucking about. Yet as I go about my day, I realize I am in 'waiting' mode. It's like having an old fashioned alarm clock, you know, the round ones with two bells on top with a striker in between them, following me around. I'm mentally waiting for it to sound off.

As I do my chicken chores, talking to the birds and making sure everybody is healthy and happy, I look for signs of a hen or two going broody. I'm waiting for the day to start putting eggs under hens for hatching. It's almost time.

As I work with my rabbits, feeding the last of the dried herbs and weeds to them, I look for signs of does building nests. I'm waiting for the kindlings to start. It's almost time.

Going about the house, taming dust bunnies and fighting a losing war against two shedding dogs, I keep peeking into my reserve of saved seeds. I gather my collected seed starter items and check out sunny window sills. I'm waiting to start my seedlings. It's almost time.

They say the waiting is the hardest part. Well, in this case I would have to disagree. The waiting brings a sense of excitement ~ It's almost here!!!!~ . The waiting hurries poky old February along, prod, prod, push, push. The February mantra of "Winter is never going to end" is unheeded. It's not even heard this year, the little old fashioned clock has silenced it with its subtle ticking. So while it's all still in the planning stage, preparation for Spring will be starting soon. The first hen on a clutch of eggs, the first bunnies in a furred nest, the first seedlings pushing through the earth. Then that little, old fashioned clock will go off. And I will hear its sound in the call of the returning Canadian Geese and the splash of the water over the DaM, freed from an icy grip. I'm waiting, it's almost time.