apple blossoms and lilacs

The daffodils were wonderful and are just starting to fade, the apple trees filled with blossoms, followed closely by bumblebees and butterflies. Now the lilacs are filling the air with sweet perfume...and more bees and butterflies. I saw a swallowtail butterfly today. The sunflower seed feeder hada purple finch visiting. Yesterday I saw a grosbeak. It was yellow and black so I looked it up. Evening grosbeak. Tried to get a picture through the window, not too good. It flew when I went outside to try to get it. No luck with the goldfinches either. We've been visited by a flicker also! Fun. The forget-me-nots are all along the driveway. I am so happy to see flowers! I hope it's not going to be as cold and rainy as last summer.

Spring is sprung!

Went running out on the Back 40 today, lot of huffing and puffing I'm telling you. Arras was extra thrilled. He was grabbing my hands, eagerly trying to get me to go faster...good luck with that one. Ever had a dutchie grabbing your hands..in his teeth? Interesting. Well, the woods are just so pretty now, I love this time of year. Best salve for the soul. The trilliums are already arriving and the frogs were just like sleighbells.

Missing Hobbes

This morning the sun is shining and I decided to run. Got all ready, bite of banana, sip of OJ, pinch of almonds. Brought the iPod and of course, Arras. We headed out onto the back 40, and within seconds I was breathless just climbing the little hill in the backyard, but I had Arras and "I Shall Sing" by Garfunkel to keep me motivated. Beautiful scenery rolled by as I toiled away. It felt good. On the way home I remembered that Mark buried our cat, Hobbes last week. She was put to sleep in middle of winter, so we had to keep the body frozen until spring. Time to pay my respects. I miss poor old Hobbes, she was such a comfort sometimes. Well, as I was turning away from the grave the trees snagged my iPod wire and pulled it out of my ear. The song changed. Guess what started to play? "Come Rain or Come Shine" by BB King and Eric Clapton. Totally freaked me out. "I'm gonna love you, like nobody loves you, come rain or come shine...." right there by the pet cemetery. I love you too, Hobbes. (and Sam and Odie and Kitty and Pinky!)