Every once in a while, it occurs to us that the exterior of our house is extremely depressing.  We are still surrounded by fill (brown) and blown down trees (brown) and lots of stumps and dirt (brown and brown).  During the summer, the green of the leaves help disguise the problem, but after the foliage has passed by and the leaves are on the ground, there’s no more denial.  Our landscaping reaches the depths of its brown misery in the early spring.  When the dingy, muddy snow melts to reveal the even dingier, muddier ground beneath it, with months to go before the leaves return, it’s a mighty depressing farewell to winter.  For the last few springs, Cherie has always hit this point, this height of brownness, and desperately wished that she’d thought to plant some bulbs the fall before so that this sad, dingy, brown time of year would have a spot of color in it.

Today was a sunny, remarkably warm November 1st, so we decided it was now or never.  We picked a spot in view of the house and started digging.  And digging.  And digging.  And digging.

Because do you know what Maine dirt has?

rockpile

Rocks.

Lots and lots of rocks.

These rocks all came out of a 4 by 9 foot area of dirt.  Yes.  That’s correct.  Let’s all take a moment to ponder what those early subsistence farmers in Maine went through, shall we?

Right.  Moving on.

Anyway, we finally loosened up enough area to plant our 12 lousy narcissus bulbs.

annabelbulb

Now all we can do is wait impatiently for spring when these little beauties brighten our lives.  Until then…

planting

brown.

And in case you think that Annabel didn’t look too thrilled to be helping, you are right.  She abandoned us pretty quickly in favor of this:

leaves2

Kids today.