Our bucket shows that the night's rain was intense. We missed the dangerous storms that plowed through the Great Plains, but we got plenty of thunder and rain. And the showers continue -- all day long.
Perhaps the only pause in the relentless patter of rain comes in the early morning, when I step out to feed the animals. It's an otherwise very pretty day, if you concentrate on the plant life rather than the darkening skies, and I would have loved to spend it in the courtyard, in the shade and light fragrance of the crab apple, but I only get this one pause in the otherwise wet day and I use it to pick out the weeds that have doubled in size in the course of this one rainy night.
I do give at least a few minutes of my attention to the beauty of all that's around me right now. By some markers, the first week of May -- with that crab apple tree and the emerging lilac flowers -- is the most awesome of them all, because it's not just about the flower fields. It's about all that grows and blooms, whether you're looking down at the fields, or up at the bushes and trees. It's all perfectly sublime.
(stepping out into a la vie en rose...)
(this tree's best moment is now, before the blossoms are fully opened)
(we don't have just one crab apple on the farmette lands... here's another)
(but this one, at the edge of the path to the barn, is our queen of the week!)
The rain then comes back and it's a cool day, so no porch breakfast this morning. Back to the kitchen.
And back to reading and writing. I should relish the break, but what can I say -- the grass is always greener over there, where you cannot be. I miss my gardens!
In the later afternoon I start in on dinner for the young family. That, at least, is not weather dependent. I cook the usual, and it is, as always, great to have them here.
(someone does not mind rain...)
(and if she can walk up the secret path, so can Sandpiper!)
(dinner, inside of course)
Tomorrow -- it's back to outdoor work. I expect the weeds have been doing a celebration dance with all that rain. I wont let them win this round!
And a happy end of April to you too!
with love...
