Monday energy

 This day would have proceeded along a different track had it been gray, wet, or cold. But it's none of those things. Yes, it's cooler -- shorts are out now until maybe May (I speak for myself -- Ed wears them year-round). But the sun is out and I am motivated! (Possible the vaccination fatigue has receded. Or, maybe I am like a yo-yo that can never stay in one spot, with one trend, a single idea ("reading in the fall!") for long.

A morning walk feels radiant!

Breakfast -- well, inside. And oatmeal! Something I bring out only in the cooler seasons.

I take a quick walk, alone because Ed is tied up with his machining discussions. And then I attack, really attack the side flower bed by the driveway. I am determined to keep it neat and pretty this coming growing season. It's one of the more modest flower fields because I planted it early on in my life at the farmette, and I was rather random -- some uninteresting lilies went in (yes, there are plenty of those around), some bearded irises (they are a challenge and they topple and they have a very short blooming season), some spiderwort. By midsummer there are weeds everywhere and I always wonder -- why do I treat this bed so poorly, given that it is the most visible one to anyone who comes up the driveway? I'm not replanting most of it, but I did put in some new lilies a few weeks ago and today I dug up many bucketfuls of weeds. Tomorrow I'll chip it and later on I'll put in some spring bulbs.

Three hours of outdoor work. On the one hand -- I'm spent. On the other hand, as always after a spell of intense garden digging -- I'm relieved that I can still do it.

Just Snowdrop today after school...

The girl is growing so fast! This isn't one of those hyperbolic truisms that a grandparent might say. She really is shooting up there. At nearly 55 inches now, she is very quickly approaching adult height levels. Of course, she is in fourth grade. Kids, girls especially, have their growth spurt just at that age. I look at her and I think -- wow, not a little one anymore.

It's ballet eve for her. Just as we are heading out to her studio, Ed calls out asking if she wants to help him pick some pears. She loves these farmette jobs!

The pears in my opinion are just okay, but there's something uniquely special about fruits you picked yourself. Especially with a fruit picker!

In the evening, I take her to her studio and go on to grocery shop, while Ed goes out for one last dinner with the Polish engineer. It means the farmhouse is extra quiet once again when I return. Now's the time to take out my kindle! And I do. My Fall reading moment is now...