The month comes in true to its reputation. We wake, though late, to hear the sound of a strong, steady, and rather warm rain on the roof, and see the puddles shining in the road.
April 1, 2018
It lasts till the middle of the day, and then is succeeded by a cold northwest wind. This pattering rain and Sabbath morning combined make us all sluggards.
When I look out the window I see that the grass on the bank on the south side of the house is already much greener than it was yesterday.
P. M. —— To Conantum End.
At the first Conantum Cliff I am surprised to see how much the columbine leaves have grown in a sheltered cleft; also the cinquefoil, dandelion, yarrow, sorrel, saxifrage, etc., etc. They seem to improve the least warmer ray to advance themselves, and they hold all they get.
See, resting on the edge of the ice in Fair Haven Pond, a white duck with black head, and a dark one. They take to the water when I appear on the hill a quarter of a mile off, and soon fly down the river rather low over the water. Were they not the same with those of the 16th ult.?
H. D. Thoreau, Journal, April 1, 1855
The month comes in true to its reputation . . . a strong, steady, and rather warm rain. See April 1, 1854 ("Sparrows are particularly lively and musical in the yard this rainy and truly April day . . . The robin now begins to sing sweet powerfully . . . April has begun like itself. It is warm and showery”); April 1, 1857 ("It is a true April evening, feeling and looking as if it would rain, and already I hear a robin or two singing their evening song."); April 6, 1860 ("Rainy, more or less, — April weather."); April 14, 1855 ("An overcast and moist day, but truly April—no sun all day—like such as began methinks on Fast Day, or the 5th. You cannot foretell how it will turn out. "); April 16, 1860 ("In afternoon a true April rain, dripping and soaking into the earth and heard on the roof,"); April 27, 1857 (" It is a true April morning . . . It will surely rain to-day, but when it will begin in earnest and how long it will last, none can tell."); See also March 8, 1855 ("This sound reminds me of rainy, misty April days in past years. "); April 2, 1854 ("Sitting on the rail over the brook, I hear something which reminds me of the song of the robin in rainy days in past springs.")
The grass on the bank on the south side of the house is already much greener than it was yesterday. See March 17, 1854 ("The grass is slightly greened on south bank-sides — on the south side of the house. The first tinge of green appears to be due to moisture more than to direct heat."); March 22, 1860 ("The phenomena of an average March are increasing warmth, melting the snow and ice and . . . some greenness appearing on south bank."); March 24, 1855 ("The earliest signs of spring in vegetation noticed thus far are the . . . grass on south banks."); March 30, 1855 ("There is a very perceptible greenness on our south bank now."); March 30, 1856 ("I can just see a little greening on our bare and dry south bank"). See also March 17, 1857 ("No mortal is alert enough to be present at the first dawn of the spring, but he will presently discover some evidence that vegetation had awaked some days at least before."); April 3, 1856 (" It is surprising how the earth on bare south banks begins to show some greenness in its russet cheeks in this rain and fog, -- a precious emerald-green tinge . . . I revive with Nature; her victory is mine. This is my jewelry.") and A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring, Greening grasses and sedges
Surprised to see how much the columbine leaves have grown in a sheltered cleft; also the cinquefoil, dandelion, yarrow, sorrel, saxifrage. See March 18,1853 (At Conantum Cliff the columbines have started and the saxifrage even . . . Both these grow there in high and dry chinks in the face of the cliff, where no soil appears, and the sunnier the exposure the more advanced."); April 2, 1856 ("Lee’s Cliff. The crowfoot and saxifrage seem remarkably backward; no growth as yet . . . The columbine, with its purple leaves, has grown five inches, and one is flower-budded, apparently nearer to flower than anything there."); April 3, 1853 ("To my great surprise the saxifrage is in bloom. It was, as it were, by mere accident that I found it.");April 6, 1858 ("On a few small warm shelves under the rocks the saxifrage makes already a pretty white edging along the edge of the grass sod on the rocks; has got up three or four inches, and may have been out four or five days . . .I also notice one columbine, which may bloom in a week if it is pleasant weather."); April 7, 1855 ("At Lee’s Cliff I find the radical leaves of the early saxifrage, columbine, and the tower mustard, etc., much eaten apparently by partridges and perhaps rabbits."); April 7, 1860 ("Early potentilla out, - how long? - on side of Annursnack.");April 8, 1854 ("The columbine shows the most spring growth of any plant."); April 8, 1855 ("The columbine leaves in the clefts of Cliffs are one of the very earliest obvious growths. I noticed it the first of April."): April 10, 1859 ("I hear of a cinquefoil found in bloom on the 8th . . . Herbaceous flowers which I have known to be open before the first of May thus: . . . Rock flowers Saxifrage, crowfoot, columbine, and tower-mustard. . . Pasture flowers Cinquefoil, bluets, mouse-ear, and Viola sagittata."); April 18, 1856 ("Common saxifrage and also early sedge I am surprised to find abundantly out—both—considering their backwardness April 2d. Both must have been out some, i. e. four or five, days half-way down the face of the ledge . . . Columbine, and already eaten by bees. Some with a hole in the side"); April 19, 1858 ("Columbines and the early potentilla April 13th !!! "); April 22, 1860 ("The columbine is hardly yet out."); April 24, 1852 ("Sorrel is well under weigh, and cinquefoil"); April 25, 1852 ("Yarrow is started."); April 25, 1856 ("The cinquefoil well out . . . probably a day or two."); April 25, 1859 ("Also bluets and potentilla are first noticed by me"). See also April 2, 1856 ("t will take you half a lifetime to find out where to look for the earliest flower. . . .It is evident that it depends on the character of the season whether this flower or that is the most forward; whether there is more or less snow or cold or rain, etc."); April 8, 1855 (“As to which are the earliest flowers, it depends on the character of the season, and ground bare or not, meadows wet or dry, etc., etc., also on the variety of soils and localities within your reach.”); April 10, 1855 ("These few earliest flowers . . .are remote and unobserved and often surrounded with snow, and most have not begun to think of flowers yet.") and A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Earliest Flower
A white duck with black head, and a dark one. See March 16, 1855 ("Scared up two large ducks just above the bridge . One very large; white beneath, breast and neck; black head and wings and aft . The other much smaller and dark . Apparently male and female .. . . The larger sailed about on the watch , while the smaller , dark one dived repeatedly . . . This male I suspect was too large for the first , and , from its size and its great superiority in size to its companion , I think it the goosander or sheldrake . "). See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring, Ducks Afar, Sailing on the Meadow; A Book of Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Sheldrake (Goosander, Merganser)
Warm rain on the roof
puddles shining in the road –
April comes in true.
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, April comes in true.
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality.”
~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2025
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