April in Vermont.

4-20-25 VERMONT: We’re here for what is basically a long weekend. We did get a lot done. Hiliary and Matt were here to do the clean up, clearing tons of dead fall. The exterminators were here the same day and sprayed the outside perimeter of the house. 

We have had cold weather and snow, warm days and windy days providing  a gamut of weather experiences. Speaking of snow, there are still piles of snow under the eaves on both sides of the house.

There is a wash out of the upper pond dam and waterfall, about 18 inches deep and a foot wide that will need a big repair. 

I did some apple tree pruning to remove part of the tree that grew over the blueberry bushes, and parts of other tree that grew into the pasture fence. I did some fence repair to leaning posts. There is always more stuff to be done, but we go back to NJ tomorrow. 

I forgot to mention in the last post—we loved “Pirates”. The show has emigrated from Penzance to New Orleans, which means that jazz has a place in the new production. The Major General is still a Model of Modernity.

The snowdrops are out all over the yard. I originally brought a hand full from our yard in NJ and planted them here, but now they are everywhere in the yard. The Rose-of-Sharon I transplanted here from NJ seem to have survived the winter.

New blooms: crocus, snowdrops, maple tree, elm tree. 

Song sparrow welcomed us back.

Crocus and snowdrops remind us that spring is on the way, even in VT.

Game cam from January. A fox crossing the upper pond in the snow.

Game cam from a week later in January, three deer crossing the upper pond dam. The fox tracks are still visible.

Game cam from this April with ice still on the lower pond in a snow storm.

Snow piles in front of the house.

Snow pile on the deck duriong snow flurry.

Snow piles still present.