April has now arrived and by the end of the month, our trees and shrubs will begin to leaf out and cast a fresh emerald hue to the scene. As nice as it has been lately, we would almost think it is nearing the end of April, but that is not quite the case. Not to worry, though, as with all the things and planning going on this month, the time will fly by!
Every year when spring comes along, I am met with wonderful memories of the past. One of those memories is when I was in college and getting that March phone call from a friend of mine who was in her late 70s at the time. She would call and ask when I could pick her up to go to Minnesota and harvest pussy willow branches along the ponds. Like clockwork, she knew when they would be in their prime. SoI would go pick her up the following Saturday and head to the lakes region and soon we would be faced with the numerous pussy willow shrubs along the waterways. She would quickly point out the place to stop to harvest some branches. Before I could even get the trunk open and ready for the harvest, she would run through the deep snow in the ditch wearing her knee-high boots, with pruner in hand, and trudge toward the treasure. Her energy always amazed me, and soon she would come back with her arms full of new and fresh branches to replace the old ones that adorned her home.