Here comes spring - yes, really!

We may be in the darkest depths of January, but, this week, I've seen a few signs that spring is just around the corner.


For one, the hens have started laying again after having almost two months off for their annual winter break. They usually cease laying in October or November, when they also start to look a bit scruffy and out of condition as they begin their pre-winter moult. They quickly feather up again in time for the colder weather but rarely lay an egg between them through the short, gloomy days of December. We usually give them a nutritious seaweed-based tonic in their water to give them a boost through this period - it's their little reward for supplying us with eggs for the rest of the year. On Monday, we found one solitary egg in the nest box - the first for several weeks - and this was followed on Tuesday by two more; one on Wednesday and two more today. Hopefully, egg production should now increase rapidly as the days lengthen, peaking by the time spring has well and truly arrived.
Another clear indication that a new season is just around the corner is the emergence of Snowdrops from the frozen ground and the Hellebores in the garden coming into flower. They're both among the earliest of the spring blooms and I spotted clumps of them growing wild this week whilst out walking the dogs.
And that brings me round to another signifier of spring - the annual dog hair moult! Our Labrador and German Shepherd are shedding hair at an alarming rate. It's coming out in clumps all over the house, creating even more housework than usual!
Not that I'm complaining though, because all these signs mean that spring really isn't that far away.



It may not feel like it now, but spring is only just around the corner. This gorgeous Black Thorn blossom was photographed last year, but will soon be in full bloom again.