New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

We have a little whip lash going on today.

Friday 05/17/2019

Is it spring yet? Finally this afternoon I can see a 70 degrees plus on one of my thermometers. This is actually closer to what it should be by mid to late May. Except that it has not. Boy what a cold cloudy spring. I looked back into several; of my diaries over the past decade. In everyone of them I had my lilacs in bloom by now. Nope. Not this year. In fact they aren't even totally leaved out yet. Nor are most of the trees here in town. Just in the last few days my crab apple trees have finally blossomed. And my so sweet smelling plum tree is finally in bloom as well. But the lack of a warm south wind has left me deprived of my annual treat from this tree. And speaking of lilacs. Three of the four, thirty plus year old lilacs, I planted along the back side of my rear deck, so I can just lean over to sniff them...Well they are dead. I mentioned it to my mom this afternoon and she pointed out a number of dead trees and shrubs that just died around here lawn. Lilacs, magnolia trees, birches, button bushes and some other shrubs planted years ago on her lawn are dead too. What's up with all this winter kill this year. Something is really weird by my observation and hers.

The good news is despite the cold temperatures my daughter and her husband came down from Concord on Mothers Day and helped me till and plant lots in the garden. In less than an hour we had it tilled with a twice over with the rototiller. Then we got right at getting some seeds in the ground. Within another hour we had planted three rows of corn, plus two rows each of potatoes, peas and cucumbers. But as the soil is still so cold I doubt much has happened with all those seeds this past week. But next week it is supposed to warm up considerably. So I have high hope that indeed the cold spell is over and we can get along with spring into summer. I can only hope. It was so nice to have family close at hand to get the job done. It always such a good feeling to get the garden underway for the year. Thank you Amy and Derek.

The birds remain abundant despite the chill. I have a rose breasted grosbeak in residence this spring. My wren is back and chatting away and he has started filling the bird houses with tiny sticks. He's been pretty busy this week. Cardinals and robins are no doubt nesting probably within a stones throw of my house, but I haven't spotted a nest yet. The black flies have come out pretty strong too in this afternoon's heat. So wildlife large and small are in abundance right now. Don't forget to get outside to feed some of your local black flies this week. Stay outside long enough and you might just come in sporting a new sticker " I Gave in My Backyard Today."