Spring Watch

   ‘Spring watch’ for me usually begins during the third or fourth week of January, depending upon the weather. Often during this period we will have a thaw that acts as a bit of a tease. The snow begins to melt off the roof, neighbors take their cars to the car wash and the Johnny Seeds catalogue arrives in the mail. I begin to watch the increasing amount of daylight announced on the weather forecast each evening and then race to the window to make sure it is really happening.

     But within a few short hours the harsh reality returns that winter is not yet over as the next major storm blows though dropping a mere ten more inches on top of that which is already on the ground. The warm breezes of the previous several days are replace by chilly blasts of arctic cold. The early morning news broadcasts announce another closing of school.  At least the kids are happy.

     Wintery February days seems to pass at a snails pace in anticipation of the coming season. There are forty more minutes of daylight.  The seed order has arrived and there is talk about the upcoming Red Sox season. The state basketball tournament is history. All this helps to pass the time. With the arrival of March there is a renewed enthusiasm that spring is just around the corner and although March 20 signals its first official day, there are already many unofficial signs.

     The days of March seem endless. It may be raining today and surely that will help melt the snow.  The roads are covered with dirt and sand from the winter storms.  Most of that sand seems to be on the grass in my front yard, a sign of some spring yard cleanup. 

     So what are the signs of spring in northern New England?  By now there are over two hours of increases daylight and we have set the clocks ahead for daylight savings time soon. Opening day at Fenway is scheduled for April3. (Is it really the Yankees this year?) The seeds I had planted are beginning to show signs of life.  I can get the morning paper at the end of the driveway without having to put on a winter coat and I can walk cautiously across the front lawn, picking my steps carefully as not to leave my shoes stuck in the mud.

     But the sure sign of spring is that the neighborhood is coming alive as people are out and about, just like me. They walk up and down the streets each evening or early on Saturday morning and offer a friendly “hello” and a wave. The heavy winter coats and boots have given way to the brightly colored fleece and sneakers. Oh yes, there is also a smile of accomplishment on each face as deep down inside we know that we made it through another Maine winter.

          I just hope that Mother Mature doesn’t play an April Fools’ joke on us again, although.........it doesn't sound good for Saturday!!!!!.

It was kind of a sad moment.....

   We had been back from our trip about two weeks. I went to the freezer to find there were only two bagels left, bagels we had brought back from New Jersey. The morning we left to return home to Maine, even before the stop at the gas station, the first place was the local bagel shop.

   Growing up in New Jersey also meant growing up with some of the best bagels on the planet. True. One can purchase them in many different flavors, from either the frozen food shelf or the bakery section of the grocery store. But there is no better experience than walking into the local bagel shop, with the air filled with the smell of freshly baked bagels and being tempted to reach into the warm bag and biting into one of those warm,, tasty morsels even before getting out the door.

   My favorites tend to be the more traditional, plain, sesame seed. poppy seed (although never before going to meet someone) and blueberry. Every once a a while, I will add one or two, made of different dough , perhaps rye or whole grain. Whole grain is suppose to be better for you, right? But my favorite is still the plain one.

Back in the car, it was only a minute or two before the car was filled with the luscious aroma and even the dog took an interest in the bag, nose working hard to locate the smell, but now the bag was safely out of his reach and ours too, at least until we got home.

   For me, bagels have always been a popular addition to morning breakfast. Come to think of it, they are good just about anytime of the time. Whether fresh from the toaster and drenched in melting butter, or coated in cream cheese or just plan, the dense and chewy interior, wrapped with a crisp exterior often 'hits the spot' for a morning, afternoon or evening snack.

   Traditionally, bagels are shaped by hand in the form of a ring or circle and made from yeast dough. What makes them special is that they are boiled for a short time before being placed in the oven. I am not sure if the ones purchased from the freezer of your local grocery store are prepared in the same 'traditional' way. Size wise, they are much smaller, and in this case, size does matter!

   Historically, bagels first appeared in the early 1600's in Poland and it was not long before this rich and doughy pastry became part of the Polish diet and within a few decades its popularity rolled through Europe.

   Entry into the United States market occurred as Polish- Jewish immigrants moved from Europe to New York City. Bagel shops and an entirely new industry quickly spread across the city under the control and watchful eye of the Bagel Bakers Local 338, carefully maintaining its tradition of yeast dough and 'hand made'.

   Later companies would experiment and expand the bagel's popularity with automated techniques for mass production and before long, the bagel found its way into plastic packaging and the freezers of you local store.

    On this particular morning, nearly two weeks after returning home, we would finish the last two bagels. A sad moment. Yes. They were in the freezer to keep the somewhat fresh, but these were still the real thing, a crisp exterior, a doughy and chewy interior and ones that were not pre-cut, but required skillful hands or the use of the 'family bagel knife', the one passed down through generations, to split into two pieces in order to fit neatly into the toaster. No microwave here. The toaster will do just fine. And the butter and cream cheese were already in place on the counter along with a glass of orange juice and a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Almost heaven!

   We will be heading to Jersey again sometime soon and will make the familiar stop at the local bagel shop. But if anyone is coming to Maine this summer, a 'couple dozen' freshly baked bagels will always be welcomed at our house. And go ahead. Mix them up, but be sure to include a couple of plain ones too! I'll supply the butter and cream cheese.

   Did you know......'Bagel' is a Yeshivish term for sleeping 12 hours straight. “I slept a bagel last night.” Its origin may be traced to the fact that the hour hand on a clock moves in the shape of a bagel over the course of twelve hours. I knew there was a reason why I liked bagels!!