Spring Ritual

It has long been a family tradition to clean out the culverts around our house to help hurry the drainage of the snowmelt water out of the lawn, and down into the pond.  It is a ritual for me that has always marked the end of winter.  There are loads of these little ditches running through the property, and under stonewalls and lanes.  And I know it must sound like boring drudgery to clean dead leaves and muck out of all of these waterways.  But actually it is hugely satisfying to change stagnant pools to pleasantly running streams.  It feels great to get all the fall and winter detritus out of the way, and create the pleasant sound of the free-running water.  And of course, on the more practical side it helps the lawn dry out faster for playing on, and removes the stagnant ponds in which mosquitos and black flies breed. And luckily for us, this year we have Emmett and all of his heavy equipment to help us with the job.  After being trapped inside for all the months of winter it is so great to be outside again, while the world comes back to life.