“March is a pair of bluebirds checking out the nesting site they used last year and the year before – the same one which was used by parents and grandparents before them.
It’s red and salmon blooms on flowering quince at an old home place.
It’s the growl of a roto-tiller, the smell of freshly-turned soil, and thoughts of creamed corn with thick slices of tomatoes.
March is a walk up Bradley Fork with sunshine on your back and wind blown snowflakes peppering your face.”
~Don Casada 2016
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Tipper
Tipper. I thought I had lost your post forever and I found it today. I am ready comments about March. My first marriage was in March 4, 1961 and ended in Aug 22,1992 by dead of spouse. He and I were at a church social and had to make a rhyme about being married in March. I said we married in March and had each other marching ever since. I know in this March of 2017 he has been in heaven for some time. I remarried four years later to another wonderful man now of 20 years.
I thought for sure we might see another blizzard like in 1993 when it snowed this March.
Love the poetry. Bet the poets are a nice bunch too.
March has been a lot of things so far, and it’s only the 9th. Was in the 70s today and we’re suppose to get snow on Sunday. That’s North Carolina for ya. LOL
Prayers for all those farming whose crops and trees are already budding or blooming. They’re surely going to need it this year.
God bless.
RB
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Well, with all these special notes and details, I will just have to share one wonderful ‘event’ today. A very beautiful BLUE BIRD came by and ‘visited’ our bluebird house! MAYBE TOMORROW SHE WILL COME BACK!
Eva Nell Mull Wike
I just had to add on this comment. I read Miss Cindy’s post, and yes it was poetic. Her post shows she has great powers of observation and even greater writing skills.
Tipper,
The January Jasmine shrub decided it was such a beautiful 48 hours it would show off a few more blooms…smells like heaven…if you stick your nose right up to the branch.
The Star Magnolia blooms are turning brown from the very low temperature a few nights ago, however some hidden buds low in the tree are showing off to remind one it was here. The fragrance drifts around making heads turn. The purple magnolia is holding its own with few blooms this year.
The Apple trees are in full bloom.
The bi-color crabapple is driving the Robins crazy/ They are wanting to build and singing territorial calls for the three branch limb near where it nested last year.
Daffodils are waving and making fun of the later narcissus. They are up and budding at any rate and I can’t wait for the fragrant white double ones to bloom.
The Goldfinch summer colors are beginning to show, changing from drab olive green to a lighter yellowish color and the black cap feathers are color changing as well.
The Lemon Balm is sprouting everywhere it dropped seeds. Catnip showing dark green colors and new leaves. Rosemary shrubs are perky as well. All the mints Spearmint, peppermint etc are growning like crazy as well as the wild creeping Charlie! I love to walk on it the fragrance is wonderful but not if they invade the iris, and day lilies. The Tiger lilies are about 6 inches tall goodness they are moving all over the place, Manarda (red bee balm) by the pond is growing and has moved around a bit as well.
Lots of yard work to get done..
Periwinkle has a few early blooms.
The Quanzan Cherry tree has leafed and the buds are sticking out,,,uaually in full bloom by April 15th but early this year.
I have got to get all my hummingbird feeders washed and fill at least one for that early bird that is sure to arrive!
Thanks Tipper,
Lots of yard work to be done…
I’m really enjoying the poetry of March!
That was lovely.
To Miss Cindy: You mentioned “another low to the ground yellow blooming flower whose name I have , at the moment forgotten” . I have many of those in my yard, too, and they are called eranthis. What a delightful tiny flower!
Tipper,
Looks like Cindy sparked a bunch of March poets this morning. I just hope we get some SNOW over the weekend. I ain’t made any Snowcream so far this year, but maybe Winter’s not done. …Ken
Today I watched a Monarch butterfly flutter by a snowdab blossom who’s bud had survived the last frost. Apparently not thrilled by the prospect, it turned up its proboscis and flickered away in search of more felicitous fare. In a subliminal yell I tried to tell it “Don’t be so persnickety. It’s early March and the pickins are few.” “And the birds are famished too!” Needless to say my pleas were paid no heed.
Our forecast for Sunday morning snow is up to 90%. Maybe the storm gods haven’t seen me waving it off yet or maybe I am being ignored but I will continue to try for you.
Good Luck! Ed
Love the thoughts – and verse! – here. March is, I think more so than any other, a month which brings out the full range of senses and even emotions.
Many of Tipper’s readers will recognize “March is….” as being a pattern used by John Parris in his “Roaming the Mountains” column, which appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times for decades. I suspect he had a “Month is” column for each month of the year.
Among the many wonderful things about March in the Mountains is finding a secluded, normally southwestward-facing hollow which is in effect a localized thermal – where the trees and wildflowers bloom and then leaf out as much as two or three weeks earlier than the majority of the surrounding area. You sometimes see this from afar with sarvis, which Ron Stephens mentioned.
Don, I hope you won’t mind your “March is . . .” being praised by an English teacher: I think it’s very good.
March is very unpredictable weather. High 70s today-potential for heavy snow by Saturday. The kids will be fishing this afternoon and sledding the area around the pond this weekend.
And I meant to add; So has “Miss Cindy” grown poetic in her description of March.
I also would like permission from her to set her words in a Free Verse style poem! Beautiful thoughts on March!
Makes me just want to celebrate March by keeping on reading these near-poetic entries!
Don Casada in his “March Is…” has grown poetic in his marvelous expression. With his permission, I would like to “rearrange” what he wrote in a Free Verse poem! Okay, Don! I love what you wrote.
Here’s my impromptu this morning:
March is Spring on the wing,
birds returning to nest.
March is cold mornings, warm days,
March wind stirring budding tree limbs
And dancing through rippling grass.
March is capricious,
Teasing us with near-summer days
Only to turn and freeze us with the biggest snow
And winter storm of the winter season.
March is friend and foe, lover and hater,
Tempestuous and unruffled, furious and quiet.
Spring is the final end to winter
And the harbinger of spring.
-Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.09.2017
March in West Virginia is having all four seasons in one day. I am still thinking about your creamed corn with slice tomatoes. Most folks now can’t imagine how good creamed corn us when made with fresh corn.
I like Don and Miss Cindy’s insightful comments about March. It makes me hopeful for the coming spring.
Each of those apply at our house except that I have no roto-tiller.
March is also white sarvis bloom, the red of red maple bloom, the gray-purple of elm bloom and the purple bloom of henbit weed. It is also the official beginning of spring, though we know spring begins earlier. It comes like Sandburg’s Fog, ‘on little cat feet’.
March is crocus, daffodils, and another low to the ground yellow blooming flower whose name I have , at the moment, forgotten. March is warm and sunny, it’s also cold and snowy. It’s almost spring, but not quite. It’s shirt sleeve days, but take a jacket. It’s the tailgate vegetable market coming, but not yet. It’s the produce stand across of the school cleaning up and getting ready to open, but not open yet.
March is ‘get set’ of get ready, get set, GO!
March is the ‘not yet’ month while we anxiously wait and we don’t know if we love it or hate it, but wait, it’s almost spring!