A Quiet Busy

We are in the stage of fake spring—that teasing time when the sun feels warmer, but winter still lingers beneath the surface. I’m eager to start my garden, knowing it’s coming soon. But starting too early means risking tender plants that won’t survive the lingering chill. So, I wait.

But waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing. This is the season of preparation. I’m planning, organizing, and ensuring every tool is cleaned and ready. Broken trays for indoor seeds are being replaced, and I’m carefully clearing the garden of winter debris—taking care not to disturb the helpful critters resting beneath the fallen leaves. I’m also making a list of new tools to buy and upgrades for the ones I have. It’s a quiet kind of busy. There’s nothing to post about sprouting seeds or early morning warmth just yet, but there is excitement for what’s to come.

In just one week, I’ll be starting my tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, watermelons, and onions indoors. My racks are nearly ready, set up with grow lights and covers to nurture the seedlings. It’s a hopeful process, one that marks the real beginning of the season for me.

Even my chickens sense the change. They’ve begun laying again and are happily darting around the yard. Their eggs are the best sign of spring’s approach. When we have a surplus of eggs, we know it's almost time.

Soon, it will be time to clean out the main coop after a long winter of the deep litter method. It’s not my favorite task, but it must be done. I’ll need a new filter for my respirator mask, fresh lime for the bedding, and to have our riding lawnmower serviced. Hauling the discarded waste to the compost needs to be done safely.

It’s a quiet busy. A season of preparation and anticipation. Soon enough, the garden will bloom, and the real work will begin. Until then, I’ll embrace this calm before the season truly starts.