Spring Has Sprung

Spring has sprung,

the grass has riz,

I wonder where the flowers is?

I remember reciting this as a little girl, anxiously waiting for the warm weather of Spring. As I age, I still anxiously await the warmer weather, and never as eagerly as this year. As I write this post, it is a chilly 19 degrees with a 20 mph wind. I don't know about you, but that does not scream "First Day of Spring" to me!

As we enjoy our Winter weather a bit longer than usual on our Minnesota dairy farm, we are still keeping our animals warm and comfortable, despite the near-zero temperature. And we keep ourselves warm and comfortable by bundling up to do our outdoor chores. But I'd be lying if I said we aren't looking ahead to Spring.  

We are preparing for Spring on the farm in many ways. Farmer John has had the seed ordered for several months now, and it will soon be delivered. We plant corn, oats and alfalfa each year. Most of our crops are used to feed our animals, with some corn left-over to sell. Machinery for planting is being  looked at to make sure it is ready to hit the fields when the soil (and the weather) are ready for the next crop. This is also a good time to finish up any odd jobs around the farm. Whether it be re-organizing the repair shop, cleaning a shed, or giving the milking barn an extra helping of elbow-grease, we do whatever we can before the busy, long days of planting season are here. 

So the grass may not have riz and I still wonder where the flowers is, but I'm confident Spring will arrive...someday.