Spring arrives on occasional breezes here on the Grassy Creek Falls Rd. The March wind is fickle. As though it’s in some sort of wrestling match with Winter’s last struggle. It’s up to us humans to persevere, which we normally do. The earliest and bravest flowers to make an appearance are the Forsythia and the Daffodils. Sometimes their blooms even make it through the cold March nights to greet us in the morning, forcing us to smile while scraping the frost off the windshield.
Over on Altapass, Soggy Bottom Farms is preparing to take some pigs down the mountain for processing. By Memorial Day weekend we will be offering some superb locally raised baby Back Ribs fresh from the smoker. Lora has been preparing some delicious appetizers with pig cheeks, and even tried making some fried pork skins, which we decided were a “bridge too far” for us.
Anyway, all this experimenting helped Lora develop her 2016 menu, which includes just a few changes. A terrific Kale Salad as well as a chopped salad. A healthier lifestyle is elusive for us but we continue to hunt for it. So a morning Hike to the Grassy Creek Falls, followed up by a little lean protein and a Kale salad, makes one feel as though you could take on the world. A little March wind cannot dampen the spirit because you know it’s temporary. Spring is coming. You can hear the toads in the little temporary pools in the fields. The Grouse are flapping their chests as is their ritual, off in the bank of the branch which feeds into the larger creek. They feed on the buds of the Doghobble and Catkin, while Chipmunks scurry among the rocks.
Work crews are beginning to clean up yards here in Little Switzerland. The twigs and branches from winter are being cleaned up in anticipation of summer residents returning. Trout season is just a few weeks away. So once again, we humans prevail over winter’s tenacious grasp. We’re ready to run in this awesome mountain playground. We’re ready to greet our old friends and maybe meet some new neighbors. And without a doubt, we’re ready to start cooking! Because a good meal with friends is the very best part of summer. The very best part of us.