Every year, April days bring the cold, the rain, the shudder, the disappointment. And every year, we are then blown away by the clearing skies, the sunshine, the return of warm temperatures. This lifting of the weight of winter is taking place this week, which happens also to be my birthday week. I've always felt lucky that in places I have lived, the coming of real spring coincides with dates that are personally important to me.
True, there was frost in the wee hours of the morning. When Millie and I went out for our first walk, I could see the white shading to the clover and blades of grass. It quickly melted away though. And the radiant sunshine charged the spirit and the day felt warm and kind. Not too intense. Just enough warmth to bring out a great big smile to anyone lucky enough to spend time outside.
Millie is, as usual, full of high spirits. That's not weather dependent, that's just her. I watch my pup trot beside me and I think -- this girl suffers from being too darn cute. You expect less of her because she already delivers at some level. She's cuddly and she is social. She doesn't need to do well in math. Hmm... perhaps I should change my mindset. Henry the serious intellectual, Millie, the charming agility school drop-out. Well, not quiet yet! We'll keep on truckin'.
Zoomies, play, walk again, breakfast, rest.
And then I take some shelving out onto the porch, order another cheap stand to increase the plant space, and promise myself an outing to Kopke's and Natalie's on my birthday for the annual flower basket purchase. If I surround myself with flowers, maybe I can enjoy a breakfast out on the porch when it really warms up.
Millie and I have a fun afternoon. An informative one! Here's our order of operations: first, to the farmhouse to pick up a rosebush, to empty the compost bucket, to get more good dirt, to pick up Ed.
The farmette flower fields right now look so good, so healthy, so perfect. I've always said this -- in spring, the weeds have not yet exploded, nothing is wilted, mildewed, chomped off, misshapen.
The question remains: will I be able to withstand it as the need to water, weed, trim, stake, and weed some more grows? I don't know. I hope so.
We pick up the farmette guy for a lunch outing. Him and his two girls! We drive to Tati's, forgetting that the place is now closed on Mondays. Ed proposes our old favorite -- Oasis, but I remind him that only Tat's, no other place in Wisconsin, will allow dogs. But, the weather! Oh, the weather! We could sit outside...
In the drive to Oasis, we pass the park where Ed plays pickle ball. He wants to show me the courts and I have to smile at that. I mean, they are just courts. But he is so proud of his games! We go to inspect them. Millie likes the walk!
And the run!
At the Oasis, everyone is huddled inside, many patrons staring down at their computer screens. The outdoor tables are empty. We grab one in the sunshine. Bliss. Truly bliss.
From there, it's back to the farmette, where I finally remember to trim Ed's beard, and then I have another task before me -- the planting of a second rosebush at Steffi's House.
Now, if you remember, I supervised the installation of a solid fence in the small yard there. I am delighted to let Millie run free. And she does.
And then she crawls right out from under the bars and goes trotting off to explore the rest of the neighborhood.
Sigh... Time to get in touch with the fence installer to see what can be done about this.
Is that it for today?? No! One more thing! As long as we're out and about, let me start acclimatizing Millie to her new bike seat. Straight from the biking kings and queens of the world! (That would be the Netherlands.)
Here, too, I need to make an adjustment so that I can get on and off the bike without great difficulty. All works in progress!
No kids today -- school is closed, they're busy. It's just Millie and me, with the occasional appearance of Ed. Still, a fine beginning to a great week. One that just gets better and better!
with so much love...
