Wedensday

The rains come, the sprouts continue to push their way upward and onward. In other words, I have a lot of outdoor work to do. The beds are more or less trimmed, but the raspberries need a thorough preliminary weeding and the flowers would benefit from layers of wood chips. All back breaking work, even as this year, my back appears stronger and my resolve to keep the yard in order? Unwavering.

And so, even though it's cool and gray, immediately after breakfast...



(a plateful of raspberry madelines and chocolate chicks tempts us)


... Ed and I go out to shovel out the deep roots of weeds and to throw down a solid layer of wood chips.

There isn't much that I would photograph from our morning efforts. Well, maybe the ever lovely emerging golden girls...






... and the budding lilac.






I could also photograph the cheepers... (oh, Scotch is so adorable in her new plump state!)...





...except that Oreo and I have a run in and so he gets a time out from Ed, who is convinced that the rooster is teachable, while the hens scatter this way and that, already overfed from a bounty of bugs and worms.

In the afternoon, I am with Snowdrop. That girl! She has an expressive, playful disposition that is indescribably lovable.






Watching her giggle and bounce and clutch and concentrate on getting a good grip with her little fist is mesmerizing! And she responds especially well if you are right there, talking her through her high points and holding her closely when it all gets just a touch overwhelming.

Perhaps one role for a grandma is to help a little one find calmness even in difficult times. Grandmas (especially this grandma) know the value of calmness.






We find time, too, to take our long walk around the lake. Snowdrop's mom joins us and once again we brace for the lakeside winds and bundle Snowdrop's legs in a fleece jacket.






The girl insists on studying the fingers of her hand for the duration of the walk and so she has one very cold fist afterward, but those rosy cheeks and happy smiles (and warm feet, thank goodness) reassure us that she is a girl who adapts well to Wisconsin's weather challenges!

Oh, Snowdrop!