the plums are budding and the sandhill cranes are flying. must be spring. in northern california, that is.

you should have your last dormant spray done. when the buds of all your fruit trees look like barely opened popcorn kernals, spray with kelp. spray the plums with dormant oil to control aphids. start thinking about your early season veggies: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, beans and of course lettuces. if you're doing your own starts, tomatoes and peppers should be growing in trays soon if not now.

a number of years ago, my good friend amyt and i drove across nebraska to see the sandhill cranes in spring, flying through the throat of the hourglass that makes up their migration path through the middle of the united states. i never knew it was such a big deal as i grew up there. but once i understood the gravity of their journey, well, it made us drive right up to worms, nebraska and have a beer. yes, there really is a beaver crossing nebraska.

now, anytime i hear their call and watch the circling and conversing as they tell their stories, as they travel, i think of nebraska and the sandhills.