Think spring!

Yesterday was the first of March and we decided it was time to start thinking about spring.

Pleasant Valley Conservancy has been fairly quiet this winter, since the deep snow has kept us from doing any significant brush work. Hard to believe that a few years ago we were able to work all winter on brush, often even in shirt sleeves. This is the third heavy snow winter, great for skiers, but bad for restoration ecologists. We generally plan to do our major brush control work in the winter, but not this year.

Among other things, I was wondering about our GMC pick-up truck, which had been sitting in its parking spot since the middle of December. Would it even start? We really count on this truck for all sorts of work, among which the most important coming up is a whole series of prescribed burns. (The truck holds our slip-in pumper unit.).

When I opened the truck door, the first thing I checked was the door light, to see if the battery had run down. Good news. The light was working.

Even better news, the starter motor turned over vigorously and the engine instantly fired up. Impressive.

Since the truck was surrounded by snow, I shifted into 4 Low, revved the engine, and backed out of the parking space and continued right up the hill to the road without stopping. Experience told me I didn't want to back down the hill and then try to go up in forward, since I might get stuck in all those snow drifts. But with good momentum and judicious use of the rear-view mirror, I was able to bring the truck right up onto Pleasant Valley Road, which was snow-free.

Kathie and I then took a tour of the Town of Vermont in order to charge the battery. I then put the truck back in its parking space. With so much snow still on the ground, it is hard to believe that in a few weeks we will be doing our first prescribed burns! The start of another prairie year!