Thursday

Above freezing and still climbing! Oh, it's nice to be trotting along toward spring!

It continues to be so sunny that eating breakfast in the sun room is actually too bright. We retreat to the front room.






And then I have a rather busy morning. I must get the farmhouse and myself ready for a short (they're all short!) trip that will put me on the road (or rather in the sky) beginning Saturday. I'm used to creating lists in my head and stacking things that I mustn't forget. I set aside a few hours to do just that today.

I will be spending most (but not all) of my time in Warsaw and there is a bit of an irony to my preparations for this trip: I had envisioned minimalist packing for my travels to Poland. I have everything I need there. A few changes of clothing and let's be done with it! But in fact, this time my little suitcase will be bulging. I'm taking stuff that I need for my kitchen there. It could be that most of the items are readily available in Warsaw, but I haven't the time nor the desire to spend all of my days there on moving between stores. So for once, I'll send a suitcase through and it wont be light.

At noon, I turn away from travel issues and I go to get Snowdrop, who may very well be wearing her warm winter jacket for the last time this season. Yeah, it is a lovely day!







We take the stroller past the lesser lake and yes, it still has thin ice crusts on a good portion of it, bit it's all rather transient. Right now it's 38F (about 3.5C), but it feels warmer than that. Yes, trotting toward spring!






At the farmette, Snowdrop and I have a greeting committee!











And I suppose we could linger outside for a bit, but the little girl is hungry: for her croissant, and for some music!






(I thought I had convinced her that a pony tail is a useful thing to sport when you are as active as she is. I was wrong.)






One more pre-nap photo:  she's going grocery shopping. She dresses well for the occasion!






I could end with that, but I have three post-nap photos that seem especially sweet and fitting because it is Snowdrop's last visit to the farmhouse for nearly a dozen days. When she wakes up from her nap and I carry her sleepy state down, she asks, as always -- where is ahah?
In the sheep shed, I think.
In the sheep shed?
Do you want me to call him and ask him to come over?
Yes.

I sit her on the couch, give her the last bit of croissant and the flowers (from Giverny!) which have recently grabbed her fancy...






I call him. He comes. She smiles her big disarming smile (which, admittedly, is not a rare occurrence).

Then comes the request. Want to read me a book, ahah?






He does. She snuggles in.





Ed tells her -- I'm going to miss you next week.
She doesn't understand that. But she understands the warmth, the feeling of closeness -- the farmhouse that keeps her safe and loved until she can return home.