The Smell of Dirt

Today I saw the first green shoots of a spring bulb emerging through the brown pine needles, remaining snow, and dried and dead leaves. It is more than thirty days until spring officially starts. With another brilliantly beautiful sunny day it does make this gardener wonder if we will be doing early seed planting this year. Will spring follow a natural course or will the calendar put it on a schedule? This picture was taken a few weeks ago. The feeder and birdhouses seem poised ready for spring also. When I checked my local Yahoo weather after I came inside I saw freezing temperatures, snow showers, and wind in the forecast. It still makes me yearn for the smell of moist dirt. I wouldn't even mind some of that dirt under my fingernails again. My old gardening shoes and jacket are hanging in the hallway where they were left in the fall. Today I grabbed the jacket and it still held the smell of burning wood from one of those last fires we had in November. Soon it will regain that smell of dirt and the pockets will collect a black Sharpie pen, some colored sticks I use for marking seed rows, and empty seed packets. A friend gave me gardening gloves that are resting on the shelf all new and brightly colored. The gloves will soon hold that earthy smell and the color will be covered with the rich,brown stain of my garden soil. I am ready for dirty fingernails and stained knees. I am ready for the smell of dirt. It has been a long winter in my corner of the Inland Empire!