funny

Another cold, beautiful morning. Road workers out cleaning up trash on Route 133, thinking that green up day must be on Saturday. Saw the first dandelions emerging in a field yesterday. Bumble bees collecting pollen from them appeared simultaneously. Funny how that works.

geese

22 degrees this morning, but the grass is greening up nicely. I mentioned one of the iconic images of springtime in New England is flocks of geese flying north in a previous post, except that I haven't seen any of those this year. That's a first in what seems to be a string of firsts this year. I'm thinking that must be because we had such a mild winter that the geese never headed south in the first place.

Over railroad tracks
wild geese fly by
low on a moonlit night.
Shiki
Zen page a day calendar

a cold spring

Temperatures in the 30's with snow and sleet. We had a very mild winter, but the spring has been colder than normal. A couple of weeks ago we had readings below zero. The cold literally nipped the forsythia blossoms in the bud. Our two bushes didn't bloom at all. As far as I can remember, that has never happened before. It looks like the extreme cold affected the daffodils as well. We have some daffodils, but not nearly as many as usual.

flower

Bloodroot

When you take a flower in your hand, and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have to time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.

Georgia O'Keefe

spring

Bluets

Heading to Buffalo today and California tomorrow. It is supposed to be warm and sunny here almost indefinitely. The woodpile is almost gone. It seems that spring has finally come to the northeast. It has been spring in California for months now. Believe me I know. Robins flocking in the walnut trees in the morning there on their way north. Fruit trees in bloom. For all those in the north country, enjoy!

Spring

To what purpose, April, do you return again?

Beauty is not enough.

You can no longer quiet me with the redness

of little leaves opening stickily.

I know what I know.

The sun is hot on my neck as I observe

The spikes of the crocus.

The smell of the earth is good.

It is apparent that there is no death.

But what does that signify?

Not only underground are the brains of men

Eaten by maggots.

Life in itself

Is nothing,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.

It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,

April

Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

go round

Coltsfoot, the first wildflower of the season. You ready for another go round on this, Shawn?

water

Winter is the season of ice and snow. Spring is the season of water. Ice on rivers and ponds, what there was of it, is gone. Ducks and geese to be seen there. Ducks are the personification of buoyancy in almost every way; in their spirit, in flight, bobbing on the water. They gladden the heart. Kayaks on cars, and boats on trailers on Route 7. Fisherman heading to the Otter Creek in Middleburg. Sound of rain on the bricks outside the front door.