April Fool, n. The March fool with another month added to his folly.
~ Ambrose Bierce

April, from the Latin aperio (“to open”), marks the beginning of the blooming season in the Northern Hemisphere. In my small corner of New York, April has brought a true spring awakening. I love how the month can begin cold, with the landscape still bare, and then — after just a few warm days — the world wakes up. Suddenly, a patina of bright green spreads across the landscape, punctuated by sunny yellow daffodils, colorful tulips, and blooming trees. Tiny wild violets sprout up in my yard and spring rains smell fresh and fragrant — like cut grass and sweet apple blossoms. All of it feels like a dramatic and welcome shift from the long, cold winter months.

What else can we say about April?

April 1st is National Sourdough Bread Day! As a self-described proficient sourdough baker, I couldn’t let this one pass unmentioned. I even have a photo gallery and a dedicated post celebrating the artisanal wonder that is sourdough.

Dating back to ancient Egyptian times, sourdough is one of the oldest forms of leavened bread. Instead of using the commercial yeast packets from the grocery store, you rely on wild yeast to leaven the dough. Basically, you cultivate and maintain your very own little colony of wild yeast called a starter. When putting your dough together, you add a portion of your starter and save the rest for another time, feeding it with flour and water along the way to keep your little yeast colony happy and thriving.

Sounds simple, right? Well let me tell you — it’s not. There’s a bit of a learning curve involved. But when you get it right? Damn, that’s good bread!

April is also home to National Arbor Day, celebrated on the last Friday of the month — which nicely complements Earth Day on April 22. I like to give this underrated holiday an honorable mention because… I love trees! And it also makes me think of my grandpa.

My grandpa was a master gardener and an urban forester. Over his lifetime, he planted thousands of young trees throughout his township in Ohio. Some of those trees came from the Arbor Day Foundation. With a small donation, the Foundation will send you a bundle of tiny little bare-root saplings. My grandpa would carefully tend those tiny trees, nurturing them until they were big enough and strong enough to transplant into the ground. It’s cool to know that there are still so many of his trees living and thriving today because he took the time and care to help them grow.

Typically, when writing these featured month “musings” posts, I look for interesting or quirky facts and national celebration days to share. Well, let me tell you… April is boring. Really boring. National Jellybean Day? National Raisin Day? I rest my case.

I actually started writing a paragraph about the history of DIY leather license plates in early 1900s New York. I found myself yawning as I typed, so I decided to spare you.

You’re welcome.

Instead, I’ll leave you with this parting thought:

April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

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