Once upon a Spring

(A revision of an article in a past Cody Living publication.)

Here now we find ourselves headlong into spring! “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come!” Song of Songs 2:12

The tricksy season is upon us with 50 or 60° days and then 4 to 8 inches of cold snow the next. My heart can’t take such teasing, but I endure knowing that the warmth of April and May is right around the corner. I mean, after all, it’s not like it’s December or January, right? (…even if it feels like it everyday!)

The busyness of tilling and soil preparation will soon be going on all around us and those planted seeds will yield a sprout of hope pointing toward harvest. If you’ve been on this planet for very long you will know this one truth: summer is always in a hurry to pass us by and it’s up to us to take the time to make it linger!

As I walk my burgeoning fields the pasture grass is on the rise. The horses turn loose of their winterwear with fur and heels flying, reflecting the freedom of the warm spring sun.

The birdsong fills my ears. The Cranes, the always faithful Robin, the Meadowlark, and of course the Red Wing Blackbird with his trills and tweets. Nothing lifts my spirits more than the fragrancies of thawing, wet earth and harmonizing bird notes.

I have lived most of my days outside. Maybe your mama was always issuing you the same warning: “Go outside and play or else!” Now I know as somebody’s nana, she was wanting to get down to some spring housekeeping and perhaps had a new recipe in mind she was longing to employ. Kids underfoot make for an unnecessary distraction in attempting to complete either endeavor.

Here’s a little spring poem for you:

“Answer to a Child’s Question” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772-1834

Do you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove, the linnet and the thrush say: “I love and I love!” In winter they are silent the wind so strong; what it says I don’t know but it seems a loud song. But green leaves and blossoms in sunny warm weather and singing and loving all come back together. But the lark is so brimful of gladness and love, the green fields below him the blue sky above, that he sings and he sings, and forever sings he: “I love my love and my love loves me.”

… and a springtime recipe to bake for your family:

Classic Carrot Cake

8 oz crushed pineapple (drained)

4 large eggs

2 c shredded carrots (about 4 medium)

1 c white sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c canola oil

2 c AP flour

2 teas baking soda

2 teas cinnamon

1/4 teas salt

3/4 c toasted pecans ( optional)

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 13 x 9 baking dish

In a bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and nuts if using. Set aside

In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment stir together eggs, carrots, sugars, oil, and pineapple. Add flour mixture in and mix up until everything is moistened. Do not over mix. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish and bake until tester comes out clean —approximately 35 to 40 minutes

Remove from oven and placed on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

8oz cream cheese at room temp

4 oz butter at room temp

1 tablespoon real vanilla

1 lb. Confectioners sugar

4-6 tablespoons of milk

Beat butter and cream cheese together. With mixer running on low speed add a 1/4 cup or so of powdered sugar at a time, add vanilla, add milk in small increments intermittent with powdered sugar until a nice creamy texture appears. Frost that cooled cake, put the kettle on to boil, call up your neighbors to come over for a piece of cake and a have yourselves a good visit!

Saddle up Missy, we got a trail to blaze!

Love to all!

Diane