Spring Rain

The weather forecast calls for rain the rest of the week. This gives me time to recount what's been happening in my backyard this Spring.

Ducks: Our pond was visited by three couples early this spring. Not sure what breed, but the males were a brilliant white.

Apple blossoms: The trees didn't burst into bloom all at the same time like they do some years. But the hard frost we got in early May came after the blossoms were almost gone. Hopefully this means there will be plenty of apples for cider this fall.

Grass: Mowing season has begun. Several years ago I did a search on itunes for John Deere tractor songs. You'd be amazed just how many of them there are! One of the artists I discovered is a folk singer Chris Williamson and she sings a song about a woman riding on her John Deere.

Poems and Purple flip flops

Spring has come to upstate NY - glorious in it's rain showers, emerging buds, green just bursting from everything and all the delicate spring flowers everywhere. Some day I will learn what they each are.

I saw a poem yesterday -- well, not exactly a poem as it wasn't written. It was a picture that should be a poem. Purple flip flops in the grass -- kicked off by the exuberant feet of my daughter as she soared into the blue May sky on a swing. She's almost 11 and the sight was so precious it hurt to watch. I was so aware of the dwindling time she will spend on that swing set. The one where we've spent so many hours - singing and swinging. I could almost hear the cadence of the poem that would go with that sight - can't you?