4/5/98---The first spring has sprung at our new house! Robins started appearing a couple of weeks ago and have been a presence ever since. Perhaps a sign of plentiful earthworms and soil not as bad as I had first thought? After a week of unseasonably warm, record-setting temperatures during the end of month, the kids were thrilled to see forsythia in full bloom. We also heard spring peepers for the first time during that end-of-March summer preview, and the ants made their annual pilgrimage to our kitchen. The kids and I made our rounds about the yard, taking notes of our observations. Among our findings:
 | The climbing rose we planted at the foot of the rear stairs doesn't look dead anyway. We pruned it back in hopes of encouraging renewed life. |
| Tulips and something else (I can't remember!) continue to inch toward the sky along the front road line. They first appeared a couple of weeks ago. No signs of flowers yet, but we're patient. |
| Willow trees are sprouting, and the maples are sporting teeny blossoms. The young oak and maple that we transplanted last fall appear to have new buds. |
| The fox den on the back hill now seems abandoned. We haven't seen the fox in quite a while. Perhaps it's back to its nomadic lifestyle now that the warm weather is here? |
4/11/98---After the unseasonably warm spell, the cold weather has returned. Even the peepers have gone quiet again. Lake Winnipesaukee announced its official "ice out."
4/12/98---I started a special project in the yard for my wife, Wendy, with the "help" of four eager young helpers: Stephanie, age 7; Rebecca, age 5; Johnny, age 3; and Jennifer, age 1. It's nothing grand like a cedar gazebo or a granite monument honoring her selfless commitment to motherhood, which she certainly deserves. Just a promise to create our first true flower bed in a spot that she loves (one of the few places around our ragged-looking reclamation project that doesn't require grading or major site work before planting). She fell in love with the spot because she said it's the exact type of place she would have hung out in as a kid. Anyway, it's a shady little mound beneath a couple of big trees. The kids and I dug out sparse clumps of grass, carved out a shaped bed, and then hauled wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of mulch to cover it. (And let me assure you that the trips BACK to the mulch pile were much more difficult because each one required two passengers.) We finished off with a couple of stone steps to lead up the slight incline and some thin, flat stones that Wendy discovered which created the perfect landing. Throughout the spring we plugged in plants---clippings and seedlings from friends, as well as new purchases. Since the kids helped, some were planted far too deeply, some were planted far too shallow, but I was able to correct everything when the little eyes were focused elsewhere. Though they were very proud of their work, the crowning achievement was when we surprised Mommy on Mother's Day with a decorative concrete bench where she might enjoy a few fleeting moments of much-needed peace. Of course, the bench didn't please her half as much as the look of joy in her children's eyes when they explained over and over again all the work they had done just for her.
4/26/98---It's been almost a month since I lost my Mom to the ravages of cancer. Not only was she one of the most important and influential people in my life, but she was also adored by my wife and kids. A group of very special coworkers gave me a gift certificate to a favorite local nursery (Stratham Circle Nursery in Stratham, NH), so that I might plant something in memory of her. There couldn't be a more perfect idea for lifting my heavy heart. My mother's passion for gardening was inherited from her father, another central figure in my life that I lost far too early, and my own passion was inherited from both of them. I chose a Korean dogwood (chinensis), one of my Mom's favorites, and the whole family helped me plant it near the opening to a special shady grove I know she would had loved had she ever gotten the chance to see our home. Every time it blooms I'm reminded of that special lady, and I find myself talking to her while I prune it in the spring.
4/19/98---They're heeeeeeeeere! The doggone black flies returned to harass me as I, with the overeager assistance of my little work crew, planted five young apple trees. Varieties include: Jonamac, Empire, Golden Grimes, Richard Delicious, and Sops of Wine. Apple trees demand a lot of maintenance and attention (especially if you're going to grow them organically), but what an educational and yummy treat to show the kids the fruit of their labors with homemade applesauce, cider, pies, and more!
5/12/98---Made it out early this morning (aided by the fact that my commuting buddy was running late), so the two oldest girls (who were waiting for the school bus) and I poked around the mud holes to see how some of our newest plantings and transplants were doing. We have had two solid weeks of rain! The new perennials from Wellington's (in Brentwood, NH, if you're ever traveling through) look happy enough and the ridiculously small baby apple trees have just begun to leaf out. But the best part . . . as we were walking peacefully along the squishy turf, with raindrops pitter-pattering off the visor of my VeggieTalesTM hat and dripping into my water-logged cup of coffee, we were joined by a fat wild turkey who, though suspicious of us, was content to share the drizzly morning. Speaking of birds, our official list of visitors to our new home now includes the ever-present crows, robins, nuthatches, chickadees, blue hays, morning doves, downy woodpeckers, song sparrows, and an energetic crowd of goldfinches and purple finches that just love our yard---and the thistle we put out!
5/98---One of my favorite moments this spring happened when I started my day shoveling a load of mulch out of the truck before leaving for work. (I couldn't very well go racing down the highway with a load of mulch still on!) The crisp morning air, vigorous exercise, chattering birds, and intoxicating scent of cedar mulch was absolutely wondrous. As I stood there knee-deep in the steaming pile, I could actually feel the smile on my face!
After attending a great workshop put on by the Rockingham County Conservation District, I realized that the apple trees were probably too close together. So even though it involved a lot of elbow grease, I moved them to provide better spacing.
7/4/98---This year has been a record-setting June monsoon. In an average June on the seacoast of New Hampshire, we get about 3.44" of rain. This year, we got over 9! Nearly three times! So not only have the rare free weekends been complete washouts, but I've had to focus my limited time and energy trying to keep the grass below waist high! Nevertheless, we're now into July and a warm dry spell finally gave us the opportunity to put in a test victory garden of limited size (only 4' x 19'). It's downright shocking though how much can be crammed into that little plot using the methods outlined by Mel Bartholomew in his Square Foot Gardening book. This should give us an idea of what kinds of pests we're going to encounter, whether we amended the soil properly, whether we chose the best spot, etc., before we commit to our big garden. We plopped in a dozen tomato plants, a couple of broccoli plants, a dozen zucchini seeds, two dozen pole bean seeds, and half the bed is still empty! We lined the back border with sunflower seeds.
7/14/98---This morning I just laid in bed staring at the ceiling for an hour and a half after the alarm went off, thinking, "I just can't bring myself to get up." (Wendy thinks I'm finally truly grieving my Mom's death.) Eventually I did get up, however, and I took my time wandering about the yard, talking to all the finches (who were probably wondering, "who's the guy with the coffee breath and the horrendous, off-key whistling?"), planning grand horticultural dream projects, making note of things to point out to the kids, and lo and behold I noticed that the bean and zucchini seeds were already sprouting! For crying out loud, it seems like it's only been a couple of hours since we planted them! I don't know who was more excited, me or the kids.
7/15/98---It was a day of highs and lows concerning backyard wildlife. On the plus side, the kids got to see their first male cardinal. That vivid red color prompted the catch-all exclamation, "Cool!" On the negative side, our friendly neighborhood groundhog invited himself over for lunch. The big ol' nuisance gnawed the broccoli plants down to stubs!
The first-year starter compost pile has proved beneficial in at least one way---there is a tomato tree growing out of the top of it, and a monstrous squash plant (we think) sprawling all over the side! Both are some of the finest looking specimens I've ever seen. Makes me wonder why I even bothered with the formality of a garden bed.
7/18/98---Wendy and the girls are off to a bridal shower, so Johnny and I made a quick trip to Stratham Circle Nursery to pick up carrot seeds (they carry Johnny's Selected Seeds from Maine), a flat of lettuce plants, and even got a free 6-pack of Jet Star tomatoes. We planted them all, replacing the pathetic broccoli stubs that the groundhog left us. The point of this entry is to remind me and any of you readers who are responsible for more than one child that any time a child can be singled out for one-on-one attention, it's a treasure they will truly cherish.
End of season update---The tomatoes in the compost pile turned out to be plum and cherry. Both were very productive. The other plant turned out to be a pumpkin! We harvested two, but lost 3--4 others to insects (probably squash vine borers) and rot.
2/99---For the first time, we participated in the Audubon Society of New Hampshire's Annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey. Stephanie and Rebecca helped---both have very sharp bird-spotting eyes!---but something came up and we dedicated far less time to this than I had planned: only two hours. It was weird that after two weekends in a row of unbelievable bird activity, this weekend had an extremely low turnout. Amid mild, partly cloudy weather, we counted six house sparrows, three crows, two American goldfinches, one chickadee, and one robin. Wendy spotted something huge in a tall tree at the top of the hill. The girls waited with her (so they wouldn't scare it away) as I tried to creep close enough to identify it. I thought it was an owl at first because of its fluffy white chest, but upon closer inspection decided it looked more like a hawk. I took pictures to send along with our report.
3/21/99---Yard was full of robins! We counted 35, but there were many more. We watched them for a very long time from an upstairs window. It was fascinating and comical to see how they acted almost in unison. First, they'd all wander and inspect the ground. Then suddenly they'd all freeze motionless! Eventually, they'd all begin prowling about again. Then they'd suddenly freeze again. The kids were hysterical when I began providing voices and dialogue for the birds. Later, we were visited by an unbelievable flock of grackles. There had to be 100 of them!
5/16/99---Time to expand the garden! I spent the entire weekend doing a TON of preparation and fertilizing. We dig all of our beds and amend them by hand, so by the time I was done I felt like I had been physically involved in the Boston Bruins' playoff quest. Plus, I got a haircut on Saturday so the tops of my ears got burned to a crisp. By the end of next weekend we'll have five small beds finished (about 4' x 12' each) in a patchwork quilt layout and be ready for full planting on Memorial Day weekend.
5/99---Bird alert! The kids and I spotted a Baltimore Oriole and what I believe was an Indigo Bunting. Both are such beautiful birds, and both joined the horde of feathered friends who prefer the waterlogged ditch I widened last year to the more formal environs of the bird bath I set up for them. Go figure!
We added some more yummy crops to the homestead, although their growth to maturity will certainly test the patience of the kids. First, we created a huge bed of strawberries, half of which feature June-bearing plants and the other half everbearing. (We'll pinch off the blossoms on the everbearing plants for 4--6 weeks so that they'll bear fruit later and extend our picking season.) We also planted six blueberry bushes, two each of three varieties. I will pinch the flowers off both the strawberries and the blueberries during the first year so that the growing energy will go to establishing the plants and promoting strong root growth. But come the following year, the kids' (and Wendy's) patience will be rewarded!
9/00---Well, I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in New Hampshire summer was a bit disappointing. Sure, all the rain and cool temperatures kept the dreaded "scorchers" to a minimum, but the less-than-ideal weather also put a serious damper on outdoor activities. There were a few highlights---like the day we got surprised by morning showers and I remained outside with the kids to dance in the raindrops and observe the outdoor world during a rainstorm---but these times were few and far between. It's not easy for a nature-lover to be trapped indoors so much, especially with five stir-crazy kids! This depressing atmosphere leaves one less prepared to deal with the stressful demands of daily life. For example: one recent evening proved to be a true test of my will. Here's how the events unfolded . . .
I arrived home from work a bit more frazzled than usual (we've all had those days!). It was a work night for my wife, so the babysitter was there to greet me with three wound-up kids (ages 6, 4, and 3) and a hungry, cranky 7-month-old. My oldest daughter was at soccer practice. Since I was running a bit late, I needed to start dinner right away. So I plunked baby Daniel into his high chair with a couple of chew toys, hoping he'd stay calm for a few minutes. No such luck. He was not happy about this turn of events, and I'm quite sure that the entire neighborhood was soon aware of his displeasure. As dinner simmered, I threw on the tea kettle to heat up water for his bottle . . . not realizing that for the first time in my life (really!) I had turned on the wrong burner. The wrong burner was, of course, hidden beneath a burner cover and cutting board.
In the meantime, the babysitter warned me that my precious infant son had "overloaded his diaper" and left a bit of a mess on the living room rug. I'm talking solids, not liquids. She had done an admirable job of cleaning up, but the area still needed a bit of attention. So I pulled off my work shoes and slacks, threw on a more comfortable pair of sweatpants, and began scrubbing the rug amidst the chaos. That was right about the exact time that 3-year-old Jennifer decided to trip over a long-since-abandoned Fisher Price "Little People" suburb that had rooted in the center of our living room (talk about urban sprawl!). I checked for serious injuries (none), comforted her as quickly as possible, then sat her in the kitchen with the "big girl" responsibility of trying to amuse her sad little brother in the highchair. Being the melodramatic type, she chose instead to recline on the kitchen floor and continue whimpering.
Upon returning to the living room carpet, I heard the familiar rumble of a car climbing up our driveway. This would be my Stephanie getting dropped off from soccer practice. Being a good and conscientious mom, the woman who had given Stephanie the ride walked her to the door. Oh no, she's at the door!
As I dashed back to the kitchen to greet them, I suddenly became aware of the scene that she was witnessing. I, of course, stood wild-eyed, wearing a horrible mismatch of dress shirt and sweatpants, with a wad of stinking paper towels in my hands. Daniel was screaming as if his life depended on it, Jennifer was still lying on the floor whimpering, and to top it all off, thick smoke was now bellowing from the melted burner cover and charred cutting board. Needless to say, I was as close to a nervous breakdown as I have ever been.
However . . . all turned out just fine. I didn't burn down the house. Big sister Stephanie took Daniel out of his high chair and fed him his bottle while I finished preparing dinner. And the kind mom who had dropped Stephanie off didn't report me to any social services agency. So why am I telling you this humiliating tale that undoubtedly makes you question my abilities as a father? It's because any parent or teacher can tell a similar tale. We all face demanding moments that take their toll on us, whether at home or in the classroom. They simply cannot be avoided. The key to overcoming stress is finding a healthy outlet that allows you to recharge mentally, physically, and spiritually. For me, that means spending time in the great outdoors. Whether digging in the garden or hiking in the woods, this is the kind of therapy that everybody needs---including children.
To ease the memory of that night, I suggested to my wife that we spend one day that weekend on the beach. She enthusiastically agreed! Since fall was already upon us, it was too cool for swimming or laying out on the sand. But that's okay; that wasn't what we wanted to do anyway. We wanted to explore! And so we did. We threw on our sweatshirts, grabbed some bottles of water and the baby backpack, then headed over to Long Sands beach in York, Maine. We combed the beach from one end to the other, darting back and forth just beyond the reach of the creeping surf, chattering to talkative seagulls, poking about in tidal pools, discussing marine life, and digging in the sand to discover a variety of remarkable curiosities that the waves had brought ashore. We found seaweed (great for the compost pile once rinsed off!), crab shells, sand dollars, snails, a fish skeleton, and an assortment of seashells to rival any souvenir shop. We returned to the van with rosy cheeks, handfuls of treasures, and memories to last a lifetime.
The point to this long-winded entry is that when you're outside with kids teaching them about their natural world, don't forget to teach them to enjoy it. That will nurture respect and appreciation for nature, foster an innate awareness of responsible living, and demonstrate the profound contentment found in the simple joys of life.
12/00---Although it is truly a majestic sight to see deer at the top of my driveway nearly every night when I pull in, I have somehow got to discourage them from feeding on my apple trees. At this rate, the trees will never even bear limbs, nevermind fruit.
4/26/02---If you've ever wanted to enjoy some spring skiing in New Hampshire, mark down this date: April 23. Every year around this time we get snow. I think it's Old Man Winter's final gasp of the season. A memorable parting shot as he finally gives way to the encroaching warmth of summer. He seems to overstay his welcome every year. So why does it happen the same time year after year? Well, the answer is simple. It's because April 23 is my wife's birthday. And while she's itching to put away all the boots, mittens, and snowsuits, and start raking out the garden beds and planting flowers, she's doomed to watch a final flurry of snowflakes during her birthday celebration. Over time, she's reluctantly come to accept her fate. So when we woke up to find two inches of freshly fallen snow this morning, she just laughed. This year we're actually appreciative of the quickly melting surprise. We still face drought conditions in the state and any form of precipitation is welcome.
8/02---It's been a long ordeal (in fact, it's seemed endless!), but we've finally completed our move and are now in our new home. I'm going to miss the old project back in Kensington and all the grand dreams we had for her, but the place was just too much work for two people working full time and raising five young children. Lesson learned. The transition from a house nearly 150 years old to one only five years old is like night and day. Both have their positive traits, and my heart is definitely into the old places with character and history, but we just don't have the time and energy for that right now. The new house has far less immediate concerns to consume all of my "free time," so I can spend more time outdoors on our new 7-acre lot! I can't wait until spring when I can start planning gardens! I'm still heartbroken at all the plantings I had to leave behind. Hopefully the new owners will care for everything with as much excitement as they showed when they first looked at buying our old place.
2/02---Well, our first winter in Nottingham has truly been eventful. You'd think ol' mother nature would ease us into our new neighborhood, but the snow and cold weather's been relentless. I love winter as much as the next four-season naturalist. And anybody who lives in New England had best be tolerant of snow and cold. But some winters seem longer than others, and this winter is starting to seem endless. Perhaps it's because we'd been living near the coast the past few years where we don't get as much snow as we did where Wendy and I grew up. The Monadnock region is a mini-snowbelt where shoulder-high drifts are the norm. Nottingham is further north and inland from our previous residence in near-coastal Kensington, and this winter has been a doozy. As I sit at the computer writing, we're still recovering from a genuine blizzard that dumped close to two feet of (thankfully) light, powdery snow. It looks absolutely beautiful in the evergreens surrounding our home. It offers a fresh playground for the kids and puppies. It creates a blank canvas ready to record the tracks of active creatures meandering about our property. It provides insulating cover for the natural world. It will eventually contribute much-needed moisture to the groundwater table. And yet, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. And it's only February!
3/9/03---DIRT! I can't believe it, I actually saw dirt today. Everything's been covered in mid-thigh-deep (or higher) snow since as long as I can remember. (Well, okay, not quite that long.) But today when I walked the dogs down the street they actually found dirt. Bear was able to dig up a few frozen leaves to play keep-away from Dixie, and I was truly basking in the warming weather. Squirrels were scolding us from the safety of the woods, chickadees were chattering away, and I was smiling from ear to ear. Of course, this means mud season is right around the corner. . . .
4/2--4/4/03---Spent three days and two nights up in New Hampshire's glorious Pinkham Notch with Stephanie and the rest of the sixth grade class from Nottingham Elementary School. We learned about weather, wildlife, winter survival, and much more with the staff from the Appalachian Mountain Club's "A Mountain Classroom." We also had a lot of fun! I was a chaperone for a group of 8 girls, and it was insightful watching this group of differing personalities and cliques slowly bond (at least temporarily) over the few days we had together. One by one they all eventually opened up to me, and I enjoyed spending time with this group. Some of the highlights included a challenging hike in snowshoes up to Crystal Falls; watching the girls role-play as a pack of wolves tracking their prey by a real scent that was sprayed in the snow; helping to build a genuine "quinzee" survival shelter out of snow; and spending some much-needed, one-on-one time with my oldest child, Stephanie. She's such a smart, fun, young lady whose smile (like her mother's) lights up a room. By the time the program was ending, I found myself envious of Kevin, our patient and enthusiastic AMC teacher who's about to finish his degree and become a classroom teacher.
4/4/03---A month ago I was rejoicing at the sight of dirt (all right, it was technically mud) because that meant the spring thaw was underway. But now I return home form my trip to the White Mountains and we have been hit by a snowstorm. We actually have more down here now than they have back up in the mountains! Snow first hit Nottingham this winter back in November, before Thanksgiving. It is now April and I'm still shoveling. That's six months of snow. I'm not sure I even remember grass.
4/19/03---Stephanie, Rebecca, and I spent the day at Ken Marvell's Sunset Tree Farm over in New Boston. It was a wonderfully sunny, yet cool morning for a forest tour and bird walk led by Hillsborough County forester Jon Nute and UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist Darrell Covell. We thoroughly enjoyed the two hours of easy walking while learning about trees, birds, and wildlife habitat. I told the girls that Darrell is amazing at reproducing bird calls, but they didn't fully understand until they heard him in action. The highlight of the trip was a visit by a barred owl! Darrell called it in close, and it subsequently followed our group through the woods for a bit.
4/19--4/20/03---Carved another trail over the weekend. Not terribly long, but this path has a more utilitarian purpose. The plan is for it to evolve into a tractor access road to the future site of our market gardens. The front of the gardens has a large vernal pool area that I plan to convert into a deeper, more defined pond. Access to the gardens will be gained over a walking bridge from the front yard. The tractor road will allow me to access the gardens "behind the scenes" with gear and equipment (not to mention a tractor) without damaging the front yard. All of the kids eagerly joined in for some refreshing hard labor. Once I re-taught them the calming benefits of SHARING the tools, the work was much more productive. One bow saw and one pair of loppers just doesn't do the trick with so many helpers!
4/20/03---Well, spring must be right around the corner now because I heard the shrill chorus of spring peepers for the first time! The kids and I actually found one near a vernal pool last year and we're hoping to locate some more of the diminutive singers this year. Besides their tiny size (some as small as my thumbnail), they can be identified by the crude "X" on their backs.
5/03---Soggy, soggy, soggy. Our incredibly wet weather of late actually has state officials somewhat concerned. The month of May saw an average of 4.51 inches of rain in New Hampshire, compared to 3.58 inches in a normal year, according to State Climatologist Jason Allard.