Everything's coming up fenceposts

Along with this extra day, we're having an extra growing season this year. Stuff is coming up all over the place here in North Idaho in February. The fenceposts peeped out of the snow a few days ago and are getting taller and taller by the day. Meanwhile, their wire-root systems are sagging sadly.

Over the past week or so, the antique manure spreader in the front yard has sprouted for another year, as has the bright-red rear-mounted tractor scooper down alongside the lane. The apple trees are getting a lot taller than they were just a couple of weeks ago when I stood over them and pruned their limbs.

Though we won't be harvesting or feeding on most of these crops of winter hibernators, we can delight in the fact that their appearance definitely means spring's a'comin and, along with that arrival, we'll be facing plenty of work on our daily "to do" plates.

Yesterday, while riding my bike along one of the country roads, I marveled at the strand of barbwire along one field that somehow found itself about ten feet off the ground. It will be interesting to see how that farmer retrieves it and reattaches it to the fenceposts. There'll be a lot of farmers out re-stretching wire and cleaning up the aftermath of this winter's wrath.

Yes, as mentioned, I did ride my bike yesterday. We have paved roads just a few hundred feet away from our driveway, so I went to the loafing shed, grabbed the bike and walked it down the snow-covered lane. Didn't even have to air up the tires. My pink wonder was as ready to go as I was. Putting the dogs in, I took off and enjoyed pedaling across the Selle Valley for about 8 miles.

The brisk February air felt revitalizing, the view from the road down into fields with meandering through thick snow blankets, the crows cawing along the way, and Randy Poelstra out there with his tractor moving those big round bales from his field to the barn----I enjoyed every minute of it, including my brief visit with my friend Jenny (www.mangymooseacres.blogspot.com).

Along my ride, I saw railroad workers enjoying their lunch near the Selle crossing. I saw Canadian honkers hanging out in fields, probably wondering what the heck about all this snow still hanging around. I saw and felt the sun being closed off occasionally by passing clouds and wondered if I should have brought my gloves.

Cold hands did not deter me, however, because the freedom to take this short jaunt on solid, fairly dry ground overpowered any discomfort I was feeling. The old legs worked well, even on the uphill climbs, and when I returned to the Lovestead, the early afternoon sun shining down on my horses' hides created the most breath-taking of pictures.

Both had their cloth blankets off, and, oh, that gorgeous leopard blanket on Miss Lily's big buxsom frame seems even more stunning this year than last. She has matured well, and I have absolutely no regrets about my mail order mare from Oklahoma. And, her pal, Lefty---breath-taking hardly suffices to describe his liver-colored presence as he prances with head, nose and tail in the air.

Lefty prances carefully, though, because the grass is not growing yet along with the fenceposts, and there's still a winter's growth of snow and ice, keeping the two of them pretty limited in their barnyard travels. Nonetheless, they probably gained some ground in yesterday's 50-degree sun, and that makes them happy.

Yup, inside my house, 'maters, melons, marigolds and pansies are coming along nicely in their potted worlds near the windows, and soon, when the fenceposts outside have reached full maturity, when the grass starts popping up along the fencelines, when the horses start nibbling on that tall grass, those indoor seedlings can move outside and join the world of upward motion.

And, by then, maybe everything will be coming up roses, and my slightdetour readers will hear no griping from North Idaho. The world keeps on spinning.

Enjoy this extra day!