Once Maine winter snow disappears and crocus, other early spring flowers do their thing, a made to wait feeling happens.
Because the transition from winter to spring is not a one or two day affair. During mud season when the frost thaws, leaves the ground slowly, anticipation builds with a Maine home owner.
The Maine house could use a good hosing off. High powered pressure cleaning to release the clinging, magnetic micro dust, calcium chloride used on the highways to melt road ice. Windows scrubbed sparkling clean lets the sunshine in clearly. Left over leaf particles from fall whirl, swhirl through the back yard. The outdoors surrounding the buildings cry out for a long overdue for a very thorough, rigorous dusting. The spring rains help to wash away the dirt particles from shrubs, bushes, the ground surface once and for all. So spring time clean and fresh new smells of new growth, hope can kick into gear.
Asphalt corners of shingle tabs, trim pieces of vinyl and aluminum are found like sea wreckage on the ocean floor in back yards, side and front lawns.
Along with tree limbs of all sizes. That like a layer cake or lasagna were built slowly. But hidden, deposited debris treasure lurks under each new windy snow storm blast new white blanket. Until spring when ta da. Whoa. The ravages of snowplowing and lawns peeled back like astro turf ready for shipment to a sports field happens. All at once it hits you which can be overwhelming at first. Until you start the spring routine. Roll up your sleeves and get to work outside to show pride of ownership.
Gravel deposits from road and driveway sanding suddenly appear as snow banks shrink. That had been hiding, that would have been easier to remove with a shovel before the last bottom shelf of snow and ice melted away. But now added as one more item on the to do list involving a lawn rake. To pull, comb with long sweeps off the lawn to the edge of the driveway. Where it can be scooped up, wheel barrow toted to a lot back corner, patch of woods. Or spread in a low spot on the property for fill if mostly gravel, dirt composition.
Mainers like to mow lawns, big patches of grass.
Maybe it’s feeling like you are farming, weekly haying on that green, red or yellow lawn machine. Could be because when you are done, you can see the fruits of your labor. And you get creative in a pattern to enhance the house or buildings with mowing grass at an angle to mix it up. Like woman change hairdos searching for the one that is “it”, “them”. And friends exclaim, other women gush “it’s so you.”
Servicing the lawn machines…weed wackers, grass mowers. Fixing a slow leak that is now a full blown flat on the landscaping trailer from winter inattention. License registrations of summer toys. Batteries bought, dead ones swapped, replaced at the local auto parts store. And for some, who did not spend outdoors in a Maine winter working or ice fishing, snow skiing, playing pond hockey, rubbing their eyes happens. Adjusting to the bright outdoor longer days of sunshine and daylight. As neighbors meet, talk, catch up at property lines.
Like a groundhog or Maine black bear family crawling out of its pitch black winter den.
To survey the situation. Access and assemble a long to do list of spring cleaning. Chores around the outside of the Maine house. While thinking about summer cookouts, patio entertaining, family reunions, weddings, wearing less clothing. And yes, swimming, watermelon, ice cream consumption as the temperature goes up. And summer is ushered in with plenty of days to get ready before she arrives all dolled up. Time to one by one tackle the job jar of maintenance items created by old man winter outside the Maine home, garage, outbuildings.
Maine, big state, friendly people, and lazy is not a popular word.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com