Despite temperatures still only in the upper twenties today, the sun is shining and the sky is blue with a cloud here or there. To Michiganders at the tail end of February, the itch has definitely begun. James is in the barn, working on his new evaporator for boiling sap. He will be tapping trees tomorrow or maybe Monday at the latest and it looks like he should have several days – if not longer – of great syrup-making weather.

We took advantage of the snow that’s left to make lines on the ground with our tracks. We are trying to make some decisions on where a new pasture is going to go, and the snow actually proved helpful – not something I readily admit. The cows had to come see what we were up to. With icicles dripping off their chins, they seemed to be enjoying the sunshine as much as we were.

In two weeks, two little lambs will be born that we are on at the top of a list for. We have hemmed and hawed about whether we should indulge in more creatures, but on a day like today, it is next to impossible to say no. The woolly ones won’t come home until June, so there is still time to put up the fence and build a small little shelter. We will expand as we have time and money to do so, but we think we have a great plan in place for the new additions.

We sat on the porch briefly afterwards and I realized it was the end of February and there might be some early bulbs about to poke through. I moved many things around in the front flower beds last year and I wasn’t even sure where the crocuses or hyacinths ended up, but once I pulled back a few leaves, I quickly found sprouts. Very few things bring me as much joy as sprouts do. I grabbed a rake and pulled back just the areas that I knew didn’t still need protection. We are, I am certain, not past the snow and cold, but there are several areas of the flower beds that would benefit from some sun and I was glad to unearth signs of life coming up through the soil.

James put up the bluebird house that Dad made and we will hope for a new feathered family to call it home this summer.

The chickens have been laying eggs like crazy lately. It seems like every other day I am taking a dozen to school to sell and there’s still an abundance in the fridge. This morning we enjoyed some of the last of last year’s syrup and some coop-fresh eggs for breakfast – an occasional weekend treat that reminds us of the bounty of blessings we have here on the farm, even in the winter.

I’m headed down to the basement in a few minutes to get tables and lights set up. We’ve been stocking up on sprouting soil and I’ve had my seed packets for a month now. I always start them too early, but I just can’t hardly help myself. I get too excited to see growth and the promise of a garden and flowers that I overflow my basement room with sprouts and grow lights! I may have gone a little crazy with seeds (again) but the catalogs are too enticing in January and everything seems like something I must grow!

This in between time is a wonderful time on the farm. It is full of hope, anticipation and expectant joy. Everything feels possible and optimism abounds. The past couple of years have been hard on us all, and with more devastating news in the headlines this past week, I know that the one thing we all need more of is joy. The dirt under my nails as I type this reminds me that joy is ours to be found, even if we have to dig through the snow and leaves of “the in between” to find glimpses of it.