Harvest Moon 64/Spring (Year 2)

Spring 1st
The first day of spring is the New Years' Festival, so most shops will be closed, and you will have trouble finding anyone aside from the cutscenes. Speaking of, from the first moment you walk out the door, you will be hit with an onslaught of cutscenes, depending on who you became friends with over the winter. If you gave Rick a rare metal, he will show up with a defective teleporter. If you won the horse race, the old couple will stop by to see him, among other visitors. For this first day, since most people have gone into hiding and the shops are closed, after your usual morning chores, go up to the village.

There might be one of several cutscenes here, depending on who you are friends with, so just leave and come right back after each until they've run their course. One cutscene in particular that turns out to be helpful happens when you try to enter the flower shop if you're good friends with Gray. Enjoy the cutscenes, but do not talk to Ellen (who should be bobbing her head in her rocking chair). We'll deal with her a little later. Also be wary of Elli approaching you in the bakery and asking you if you have a moment. If you give it to her, time will fast forward to 5:00pm, and all she will do is ask if you like her. It's not worth an entire day, but if it's getting close to five and you want to marry Elli, stop by and let this cutscene run, otherwise, just say you're busy. After the cutscene with Gray and Popuri outside the flower shop, head to Green Ranch to see the next part of the story. From this point on, these flowers will respawn just like the ones in the mountain, and you'll have a new source of free gifts.

Head out into the mountain and let's see if you can remember the collecting route you used last spring. You will undoubtedly get hit with another set of cutscenes up here as well. Every time you encounter one, simply leave the way you came, then come back until the cutscenes have all played through. Gather herbs, chop stumps, but make sure to get to the town square before 5:00pm.

The New Years Festival is kind of fun in that the goal is to out-drink everyone. If you've been sneaking drinks from the vineyard wine cellar, this isn't much of a problem. Just go around talking to everyone and drinking until either everyone goes home or you must be carted away yourself. Happy New Year!

Spring 2nd-4th
These will be the first real work days of spring. Spring 3rd officially marks one year, which doesn't have any special significance inside the game, but give yourself a pat on the back. For these days, the routine should be dealing with your cows, sheep, and chickens (and making sure you have enough feed and fodder), then digging up a music box (you'll probably have to remeasure where the exact spot is). From here, get up to your greenhouse and water and harvest your crops. When that is done, run by Green Ranch to snag a flower and head up to Rick's to get that music box working again. Find Popuri (probably hanging out near the flower shop), and give her the music box and flower. With all the flowers growing around, getting Popuri to a pink heart should be no problem after dealing with winter.

Last spring, we hoarded up the wild herbs and harvested vegetables because money was a big issue. This year, the goal is to give everything away. If you come home empty-handed, you've done your job right. There's a new fellow walking around Moon Mountain clad in green and constantly talking about an elusive butterfly. He will not matter until later, but if there's an edible herb or veryberry growing next him, give him the gift. At night, grab a handful of flowers from Green Ranch, head up to the bar, and give away flowers to everyone there (including the bartender himself).

Spring 5th-7th
Now that you've gotten into the groove of things, we're going to throw a new chore in: planting a grass field. Head into the flower shop and purchase 5 flower seeds and 20 grass seeds (or as many as you can afford, and head back to your farm. When you've finished the morning chores and grab-and-gift run through Moon Mountain and the village, head back to your farm. The first thing we need to do is till 45 plots for the 5 flower seeds. I know you probably have a souped up hoe by now, but until you have found the spot in your farm where the power berry is hiding, only use single strokes or risk burying the power berry under flowers. When this is done, we'll stat working on a grass field. Starting with the two plots of grass we planted last year, start planting grass down toward the watering hole a few plots at a time, but make sure not to cover the music box if you're still working on Popuri. Plant two or three grass plots per day or as often as you can. By the end of fall, we want the ENTIRE field covered with grass.

On one of these days, finish up your morning work and run through Moon Mountain early, but instead of heading back home, go to the village and talk to Ellen. There will be a short scene where she dies, and the day will end automatically.

Spring 8th
Today is the Sowing Festival- the first festival that you will have attended twice! Most of the shops are closed today, so run through Moon Mountain and/or work on your grass field, just make sure to get to the town square before 5:00pm. If you were obscenely lucky enough to find a coin in your cake last year, congratulation! Pick a partner. Either way, you will probably end up going for a ride. If you are good enough friends with all the bachelors in town, the king will likely pick you. Woo! Balloon ride!