Imago Again!

For the first time since December, today was Imago Saturday! My friends and I had been pumped about it for the past few weeks, and today it finally came.

Imago (other than being a Greek word) is an ecosystem restoration project located on a thirteen-acre plot of wooded land in Lower Price Hill. On the first Saturday of every month (except for January and February, to my dismay), we head out there to do whatever they need us to do. We've cut down honeysuckle, rescued native plants from a little bit of the NKU campus that was about to be paved over (as if that place didn't have enough concrete already), weeded a community garden, dismantled an abused wigwam, and done other things down there.

Today, we moved shovels, rakes, and other equipment to a "new" shed someone gave them. After that, we spent quite some time chipping away at a half-frozen mulch pile to cover some unsightly black plastic that's being used to smother weeds. When it warms up more, prairie grasses and flowers will be planted where the plastic is now. Finally, we planted some redbuds. Well, everybody else planted several, but my partner and I were having equipment issues, so we only planted one. I snapped the "heavy-duty fiberglass" shaft of a shovel, and my hole-digging partner bent a trowel out of shape.

It was all great fun. The air was that pleasant temperature that makes your face and fingers cold, but doesn't make you wear a coat. I absolutely love the feeling of a chilled face, but I hate coats, so this weather me fait heureuse. Spring weather is on it's way, and will eventually be bringing the thunderstorms back! However, as we all know, spring can't really start for fifteen more days at least since Punxsutawney Phil did indeed see his shadow. As far as I'm concerned the winter weather can linger on if it likes. We get along well, even though it doesn't normally bring thunderstorms.