Saturday, February 26, 2011

Climbing Out of Dormancy

I don't know what to write about this week.  Life goes on, and sometimes it seems so obvious or repetitive that there's no apparent sense in documenting it.

Or, on the other hand, I have great ideas, no time to write them down, and then forget them.

So.

Apparently, it's spring.


After over a decade living below the Mason-Dixon line, I still am not ready to accept spring when it arrives.  I always wait for one last March storm to blast through.  Here, we've had a freeze every Easter weekend but one.  So it may be another month before I believe the daffodils' promise.

Still, I'm not above taking advantage of every lovely day that's offered!


We've left Rosie's old (pre-fence) dog trolley up for just this purpose.  How fun to see these sheets rippling in the perfect breeze.  I was suddenly transformed back to the countryside where I grew up, driving by long lines of clean white sheets, pastel shirts and even the occasional bonnet hanging behind the Amish houses.

I, however, hung my underwear inside to dry.

Another blessing of these early warm days is for Rosie.  The mosquitos and other irritating bugs have not yet emerged, so we often leave the back door open for her to wander freely in and out.  Her preferred state of affairs is for both her pack members to be home, and outside in the yard.  That way she can keep her eye on us, and still enjoy all the entertaining sights, sounds and smells of the world at large.


This is not an exciting post.  That seems only natural; now is a time for preparation.  I've been cleaning parts of  the yard bit by bit; weeding, pruning, even dragging the mower around to trim the weeds.  The grass is still dormant; every bit of green you see is weed.  As usual, there is more to be done than time or energy to do it.  This week Miss Chef and I had a lovely convergence; we both took Friday off.  And spent half the day running errands, the other half working at home.

In preparation.

Tomorrow, we're going back out to the US National Whitewater Center.  It's supposed to be 74 degrees and sunny, and not only are we going kayaking, but we're planning on buying annual passes.  Besides kayaking, there is of course the rafting (starting in March...brrr!), trail bike rentals, two zip lines, climbing walls, and plenty of other stuff I'll probably never try!  There's also apparently a great 4th of July weekend, though we'll probably be too jet-lagged to do more than stare blearily at the fireworks before heading home to bed.

Speaking of jet-lag, our trip makes this spring a different season of preparation.  The garden will be minimal--last time we left in the summer, it was ravaged by rabbits and drought in our and Rosie's absence.  Plus, much of my time and attention will be turned toward things like buying good walking shoes (thanks for the recommendations!) and researching the difference between Oyster Cards and Travel Cards.  I just checked out some guidebooks from the library and am surprised at how long and intently I find myself reading nonfiction.

I suffer from an odd spring fever.  As soon as the temperature climbs much above 70 for the first time, I droop.  So it will be a while before I'm truly possessed by the season, ready to tackle the outside chores with unexpected fervor through the last of the sunlight.  Simple steps; I must be patient with myself.

In the meantime, I planted coreopsis seeds among the daffodils.

For you Smoky fans, here's an updated photo, from our friend's camera phone:


Omigosh, she's turned into a CAT!  How unexpected!  (Oh, and she's "manning the printer," being as helpful as ever.)

14 comments:

  1. I love the pre-bug season for the same reason- having doors wide open with no threat of bugs and creepy crawlies. :)

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  2. We had some warm days and all the old snow melted, but we received more white ground cover in the past 2 days. Just an inch or 2, but with temps in the low 20s, it was enough to remind us that Winter hasn't left yet!!! And Smokey is beautiful!

    Nancy in Iowa

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  3. Preparation! It's what we all need to do at points in our lives.

    Smokey is fabulous!

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  4. I was so shocked to see many trees had bloomed as of Thursday. I love it!

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  5. The sheets flapping in the wind remind me of when I was a little girl, hanging sheets with my mom. I can smell them!

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  6. Your lovely post makes me ask two questions: what exactly is the Mason-Dixon line (you can tell I'm a Canadian), and how, exactly, do you fold fitted sheets? I'm off to research those on the internet, but in the meantime I wish you a storm-free, daffodil-filled spring!

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  7. There is nothing nicer in this world than to crawl into bed with sheets that were hung in the sunshine and fresh air!
    On our trip to France last year we were tickled by everyone's laundry hanging outside of balconies along the narrow streets. Undies were closest to the building to be less obvious!!!

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  8. I love a good, newsy post... just the regular business of living and preparing. Daffodils and sheets on the line... these are marvelous sights!
    Miriam... my mother taught me to fit the corners into each other, then fold over the excess edges... and you know what? This is really hard to describe!!

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  9. I enjoy everyday-life posts very much. Glad your Spring has started - we are months away.

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  10. Oh my gosh! Spring?! Daffodils?

    We are still two months away before we see any Spring flowers. I'm envious.
    But your photo of the laundry on the line reminded me of how I sometimes miss being able to do that anymore.

    Here in New Mexico, we have zero humidity, which will dry your clothes and sheets in less than hour...but also leave them stiff as boards, no matter how much fabric softener you use.

    But the positive thing about no humidity is that we don't have a mosquito problem or other annoying bugs that require moisture to survive. So, we trade one for the other.

    Oooh! I would love to kayak some day. I hope you will share your adventures.

    ~Lisa

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  11. Ahh, sheets drying on the clothes line. Love that.

    Ohio got another blast of snow so I'm in the same head space when I see signs of Spring earlier than usual. Hope it stays warm where you are!

    Cheers, jj

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  12. Daffodils....maaaaan, I would be soooo annoyed reading that if it weren't for the fact that a super new book has just arrived! Woohoo! Thank you thank you! I shall very much enjoy reading Rose in a Storm, and shall thus distract myself from your incredibly annoying daffodils. Iowa weather....not good for man, nor beast, nor flower. Sigh.

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  13. Oh my goodness - Smoky is beautiful - thanks for the update.

    We're having perfect weather here this week too. Sunny and warm with no wind. And no bugs. Isn't it wonderful?

    I'm so envious of your daffodils. :)

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  14. Oh I envy you your warm weather. 5 below this morning here in Sunny South Dakota! We're having unusually cold temps and expected to stay thru March, ughh! Keep us posted on spring events in your parts please!

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