I never made it to the thermometer today, but it had to have hit 70F or close to it. I was down to a T-shirt in the morning. It clouded up by mid-afternoon and was raining by suppertime.

Trees destined for far away places: April 14, 2026

One day after the return of the Canada Geese, the Tree Swallows returned to the orchard. As I was marking out spots to plant new trees, they were darting and swooping and diving up above me. It seems a bit early, but it’s a welcome sight. We love them. We don’t get Barn Swallows here, but we do get the Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Watching them fly, I always think of them as the Orcas of the sky.

In the afternoon I decided to clean out the Tree Swallow houses. We have them scattered throughout the orchard. I also dug a bunch of trees to be shipped to customers later this week. Meanwhile Cammy was potting-on dahlias in the greenhouse. As I finished up digging trees, it began to rain. More April showers. We’re glad to see them.