I returned from my trip to California to discover that springtime had arrived in Portland, too. I took the Max Red Line home from the airport this afternoon, switching to the bus and then walking the last couple of blocks. It was fun to have that time to see everything so vibrant: people mowing their lawns, trees and flower in bloom, backyard chickens foraging for worms.
I turned my heater off at the beginning of April since we'd had a couple of warm days. We've had some gray and rainy days, too, but overall, it's been quite pleasant. I especially love those first few days of the year when you open all the windows and leave them open all day and all night, fresh air flowing through the house. I debated leaving the heat on low when I left for my trip, but ultimately decided my cat could burrow into the blankets if he needed to. Hopefully I'll be able to leave it off from here on out. If I do, I managed to use the heater for just five months this year, from the beginning of November through the end of March. I seem to have survived a Portland winter in a tiny house no problem-o.
Now the tulips are blooming outside my front door and the lilacs along the fence. I helped my landlady get her compost system set up so that's ready to go again, too. The garden is looking lovely and I've especially enjoyed watching a Calliope hummingbird that zips around the blueberry bushes. The greens that have overwintered are now bolting so I'm eating greens as quickly as I can! I've been making a bruised kale salad with a little lime juice, black sesame seeds, and dried cherries. I know, it sounds like a strange combination, but it's really quite tasty!
Meanwhile, the chicks are big enough that they've been playing outside the coop. It's sooo cute to watch them figure things out. They're still puffballs but they're getting more feathers all the time and they chase each other around, playing catch-me-if-you-can with worms and slugs. They all sleep tucked underneath the mama hen Ella and she clucks to them when she finds a worm or some greens for them. Spring is my favorite time of year and I feel really lucky to be able to spend it in such a pretty place!