New England Farms

There is always some date in February when the urgent call of spring renewal defeats the leaden desire for inaction, baked goods and pasta. And when I heed that call, I am compelled to spend some time outside walking and engaging with like minded plants and animals. February 23 was the day this year, when I needed to and had the energy to slug off a long hard winter hibernation.

This is what I saw.

Can you identify my garden plants from their sprouts?

IMG_0610 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0609 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0608 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0607 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

One bird’s love song is another birds dinner bell. The hawk was waiting for dinner to be served. The barn bird had a nest hidden beneath the loose shingle. You can see the buds on the trees in the hawk photos.

IMG_0604 (2) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0603 (2) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0602 (2) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0601 (2) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0596 (3) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

It was nearly 60-degrees when I went strolling. Many neighbors shared the roads and pathways with me. Ultimately I put in about 3 miles and was energized more than tired by the excursion.

There are white birch in the woods behind my house, but this one is the one that ventured farthest from the other clusters and closest to our property. And well, pussywillows, need I say more. The barn is the home of many wild birds and once I saw a raccoon had made its home inside as well, but that was when the farm grew more corn.

IMG_0599 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0595 HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

IMG_0592 (2) HAV No AND (c) Alison Colby-Campbell signs of Spring Feb 23 on my Bradford Street walk

All photos and text (c) Alison Colby-Campbell.

Tattersall Farm in my city of Haverhill, MA at 542 North Broadway needs to occupy a lot more of my time. I photographed there basically as a fly by, stopping to preserve my mood after a kid missed the bus to the high school or on my way to hike trails elsewhere, or to check out the community gardens.

This photo retrospective reminds me there’s a lot to see in any season. Disclaimer – My initial thought “well, maybe not spring”, shifted when I wrote a recent article for Haverhill Life Magazine on the trails here. I was delighted by the surprise of single daffodils peeking out above the grass and dandelions to mark the trail across the field.

With hiking trails, community gardens, wild flower areas, arguably the oldest living oak on city property, heritage apple trees, a daffodil lined path, and bobolinks, tree swallows, turkeys and hawks arriving for their photo ops along with a few deer, even the barren trees offer a beauty worth sharing.

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