Tis the Season of Imbolc

One thing I love about celebrating the Wheel of the Year, which includes the Solstices, Equinoxes, and the four days at cross quarters to them, is that we get to celebrate an entire season rather than just a day that is then suddenly over. Right now we are celebrating Imbolc, which is on February second and comes six weeks after Yule and six weeks before Ostara. By "we" I mean my family, including our chickens. The girls pace back and forth in the run, anxious to be let out in the yard so they can search for the barest hint of green grass. They keep on scratching deeper and deeper as the ground thaws. Grow! they seem to be shouting at the earth. And as I said in an earlier blog, they are laying more eggs than they were just a few weeks ago.

Today when I let them out in the morning the ground was frozen solid. The dew point was near freezing, though, and we had frost on the ground. Frost is rare in my part of Colorado where it is usually too dry (as I understand frost and dew point and humidity). Where I grew up we had frost almost every morning in the winter and early spring. It's a peaceful sight to me, the gray frosting on the grass and leaves. At my daughter's playgroup/preschool we are discussing patterns and shapes in nature, so I was particularly noticing the shapes of the frost. My favorite little snapshot of the morning was a black chicken feather rimmed with frost crystals.

I know the ground will thaw and we'll soon plant peas. For now I'm enjoying the return of the light (or living room is so bright in the morning!) and the scent of spring in the air, just under the chill.