ahead of schedule

This April is full of exclamation marks. An unexpected snow, yes, there was that. It's long forgotten. The days have been stunning, the weather? Coming in at full speed! It is tradition that I should start hounding my two local greenhouses -- Natalie's and Kopke's -- on April 21st. Not this year. Ed tells me that Natalie's is already receiving its first customers and Kopke's, perhaps looking ahead to the sunshine of this weekend, just announced that it will be open both Saturday and Sunday for a "sneak preview." Will I go to either place? Well what do you think!

These early openings, early temptations, early coaxes are dangerous of course. Tomorrow we're going to hit 75f (24c), but next weekend, we're going to go back down to a low of 29f, which, of course, is below freezing. And a high of 43f (which is all of 6c). The spotty warm days can lead you to make hefty gardening mistakes. I always rush the season and plant in advance of the last frost date (most perennials wont mind), but these greenhouse openings are just an unfair temptation to start picking up container annuals. Still, I want to walk those rows of blooming flowers again! It's too wonderful to be this close to full blown spring!

Our morning is lovely. A precursor to a beautiful weekend.

Breakfast? Also lovely.

And then we set out for Natalie's. A week early! 

And there's a happy twist to her story: her husband had been stopped from reentering the US three years ago when he went for the funeral of his father in Mexico. Because we have a very... shall we say "complicated" border situation right now, it took him three years to gain permission to come back. And he finally got it (not without drama)!  And she is ecstatic.

And her flowers are beautiful and I buy my first basket of the season.

The remaining hours of the morning? Spent on weeding. You can assume that any unaccounted for hours going forward are spent on weeding!

Until it's time to pick up the kids.

It's a long day for me. I had planned on grocery shopping today and I did not get to it until after 6. Which means that dinner -- reheated chili and a salad -- isn't until 8. Full days are good days! And at least weather-wise, I know that tomorrow will be even better.

With love...