April 11th

This year's first daffodil flower bloomed today!

Actually, at least three showed their pretty yellow faces and they are lovely.

We have been promised beautiful warm weather and that promise holds. It's a stunning day -- way too beautiful for April, which is typically stingy with sunshine and warm air. 

Morning walk -- good, though still a little cool, which is as it should be.

I then have a stress test -- something that needs to be done before knee replacement since running uphill on a treadmill (on crutches?) afterwards seems, well, not doable. I am hugely competitive on these things and today is no different. I aim to outperform. I do not know why. The nurses do not care. Indeed, outperforming to the point where I will drop rather than give up, sounds sort of wrong for a nearly 70 year old, but there you have it: I want to beat my old record, which admittedly, is exceedingly hard with a bad knee. Still, I do okay!

And because this stuff has to be done before morning coffee, or morning food, or morning anything, breakfast is very very late. So late that we are already at 72F (22C) by the time I put out the food. On the porch of course!

Such a treat to be eating outside in April! A wonderful, awesome treat!

We do take a walk in our local park, yard work notwithstanding. One doesn't walk away from a stress test without feeling like you have to keep at it or else next time, several years down the road, you'll be a total stress failure!

And in the afternoon, Snowdrop is here and it is indeed ballet day, so outdoor play, indeed, any play is kept to a minimum. That's the plan, anyway. But driving in the vicinity of the playground just pulls me to it and of course, the girl is thrilled to climb, sway and move from bar to bar.

And now we really should hurry. Go inside, read a page or two, eat that snack and get ready. And yet we pause. For that moment in the yard. Because it is that grand to be outside.

Evenings, too, are so lovely now... The last bits of sun come in from the west windows, the animals settle down for the night, Ed and I retreat to our couch moments. So perfect at the end of a stunning day.