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Here in the north, we eagerly anticipate the first signs of spring. For those of us that live on the northern plains of Wyoming, the signs follow each other closely and then one day … it is finally Spring. What are the first signs of spring where you live??
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is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
The meadowlarks are back, the bluebirds are checking out their houses and I heard frogs croaking somewhere west of Upton today. Whew, I feel like we can breathe again. Welcome, Spring!
Hmmm, 1st signs of Spring around here on the West Plains of Spokane…well let’s see, we had 3 rounds of hail today, a thunder & lightning show and I just looked outside to see about an inch of snow on the deck….Spring,,,not here, not yet! but soon…I hope! lol!
Happy Spring Shery!
I’m with ya on this being the ( ugly ) time of year… the trees (and they are plentiful here) still look bare. You have to get up real close to see the buds… a sure sign of spring. I noticed the first delivery of plants and mulch for sale at our local grocery store yesterday. Another sign… here at home and around the yard my crocus are up and the forsythia is about to bloom…there are other signs as well… small green shoots are coming up in my flower beds… and we are in fresh eggs again! The girls are back to one egg a day!
So enjoyed your tour of spring on the ranch…
You’ll be back in the saddle in no time!
Deb
Well…..we live in Texas – in about February the heat makes an appearance….if the bluebonnets weren’t so gorgeous we wouldn’t know we had spring. Here it’s hot, hotter and blazing.
Here in Cheney, I know winter is coming to an end when the geese come back. They nest on the wetlands behind our home. It is great to hear the other birds sing again (I don’t think geese honking is much of a song!). Then the baby calfs are born and the buttercups bloom. Spring is always unpredictable weather, so I wait until Mother’s Day to plant my garden.
Here in Punxsutawney, Pa Puxsy Phil predicted an early spring-I’m not too sure about that. I could have cried seeing snow again this week! But it didn’t last and the robins are looking for worms. Hope springs eternal!
I love the red and white enamel pitcher! I collect it and it always catches my eye!
Here in very northern Minnesota, there aren’t many signs of spring yet, except that it is finally above freezing. I’ve been able to get out and ride a few times since the snow has melted some, and I have a kid crop on the ground and their lower pen finally has some dry areas. Can’t wait to start gardening!
Oh Shery, have you been sneaking a peak into my ‘life’? I’m out here on the plains, can get snowies as late as June. But this year I have done something I said I’d NEVER do – gave up on having a lush grassy yard, we are required to keep the erosion down and just rock is not my thing, so I did turf, green all year type of product, not really settled into LOVING it but it serves the purpose. Now I have more time for the gardening, flowers and veg’s, crafts, antiquing, and most of all for the grandchildren. So thank you for helping me to get my see a bit into your ‘to do’ list and sure wish you luck with the craft sale – sounds like great fun. Take care of your knee. God Bless.
Shery: I am so happy for you that your knee is recovering so well. But from one who knows, let it heal really well. Don’t overdo quite yet. But happy spring! All of us northern farmgirls deserve a great spring after this 10 month winter (lol). Happy trails too. Bonnie
This is the time of year when I’m hanging on by my fingernails for signs of spring in Montana! One of my favorite scriptures keeps coming to mind, as I stare out the window at the snow drifting into the blooming forsythia:
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My Mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbrush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed." Isaiah 55:10-13
Hope your knee has you feeling like a frisky calf again soon, and Spring comes faster than all that old winter hair coming off our horses! Take care!!
I’m in northern New England. The distinctive smell of skunk is our first hint that spring is just around the corner. Then the snowdrops timid heads appear barely higher than the mulch in the flower bed. But we know spring is really, truly here for good when we hear choruses of "peepers".
Happy, happy spring!
Here in Alabama it feels like spring has come & gone. Expecting record high temps this weekend (mid 80’s). But back a couple of months ago I knew spring was just around the corner when I saw some daffodil leaves peaking thru 2 inches of quite unexpected & rare snow. Then the robins came & ate all the berries off my holly tree. Now we’re just waiting for the hay fields to get a little taller & the work begins. Nothing like riding around in circles in the hay fields knowing our cows will eat good this winter.
Hi Shery
I do hope you will not over due the knee, Take care of it.
I know how you are itching to get out in the open and do some of the things you want to do. Sounds as though your list is coming along. You will get it done and more too. This is a sure sign of Spring for me. Lists.
I live in Virginia, on the Eastern Shore along the Atlantic coast on the little peninsula between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay. The little finger that sticks off of Maryland. Our signs of Spring is daffodils and Bradford Pear Trees blooming and crocus peeping through the snow. Soon the Dogwoods will be showing their beauty, in fact they are getting ready to bloom in the front yard.
I too am getting ready for my garden. I went to a friends house for some horse manure, she boards and teaches riding. She lets me have the manure and I usually fix her some hot Rolls. It is great for the garden the manure, I mean lol
Shery, I really enjoy your Blog and look forward to reading about your ranch. Hugs from a farm sister to you all. Juanita
I have a BIG and BUSY life with owning 8 restaurants and my husband and I farming growing food for them, AND I never skip reading your blog! I so enjoy you, your viewpoint, photography and wisdom. we will be calving our first cows this summer and am so excited! Spring here are daffodils, paper whites, lavender, and fruit tree blossoms!
thank you for your sweet sharing!
love, Terces
The snow has finally almost disappeared here. I have been out walking about with the grands this past week and wanting to start working on the flower beds but know from years past that it is too soon to uncover them. I have to be patient a little longer so they do not get frozen during our cold nights. The chickens have been out of the hen house enjoying the sun and digging up the dirt and taking some dirt baths. I do not plant bulbs, they always get chewed up here by the little underground critters. But I do plant a big wire planter with pansies and violets as soon as they show up at the greenhouses. Your bear is so country sweet! Welcome spring, it seemed a long time coming this year!
Shery, Glad to hear that your knee is healing nicely! First signs of Spring here in KS would be the pretty early spring flowers. We had a snow about a week or so ago and today it is in the upper 80’s! I am hoping we get a spring and don’t just jump into summer. I loved the picture or your horse Ribbon, she is very pretty.
Shery, Glad to hear your surgery went well, and hope you are 100% soon! I agree that it is an "ugly" time of year, especially with all the salt and dirty sand left on the streets from the snowplows. However, your picture of the plains and sky with the clouds is breathtaking! Hugs, your fellow blogger, Nicole, Suburban Farmgirl
Hi Shery! I am fairly new to MaryJane and all of her wonderful friends. Where are you in Wyoming? WE live in Fort Collins now, but we will be resettling to Harriman, WYO (about midway between Laramie and Cheyenne) in mid May. A fantastic home with an incredible view and 10 acres; perfect for us. Spring here in FC is of course the first crocuses (croci?) and how the trees have leaves overnight…..all that and the first rue sign: I start sneezing.
Thanks…happy Spring
Kate
Sheri…well, my neighbor came out…and he doesn’t all winter…so, we KNOW it is Spring here! He takes very good care of his lawn and I try to fill mine with edible things. Drives him nuts, I know. We laugh over it. Good neighbors are so important. My daffodiles are trying hard to bloom and I see buds on my lilacs. My spirit gets so excited at this time of year. Yearning to get into the dirt. Our off-grid kids figured out a shower with a tankless water heater and pump and solar panel or generator…love it. You bring so much to my mind, my friend…like those northern Wyoming Springs.
Brrrr looks chilly! Spring isn’t a whole lot different than winter where I am – a bit warmer mixed with a little rain. So jealous of your bed in your flower bed- I’ve been on the hunt for a bed like that but can’t seem to find one anywhere- well at least one at a reasonable price.
I always look forward to your new post.