Out of Doors

It is a beautiful March day. Blue skies made all the bluer by the puff of white passing through them. It is chilly, breezy with a hint of winter still.

Our crocuses have popped up, some brave enough to form buds. They will hold their little yellow petals skyward soon. The daffodils have grown taller and the tulips fat red-tinged leaves have pushed through.

George's water has been returned to the out-of-doors, semi-freezing overnight but melting with the proper application of big black nose and determined tongue.

I herded everyone outside yesterday afternoon in coats and shoes. It took about half the time to get outside and about a quarter of the time to get back inside. They explored the yard recently uncovered by the sun after I removed the many signs of a large dog living in a smallish yard. They dumped cold water out of toys missed in the fall pick-up. They, mostly he followed by she, discovered that with a certain amount of ducking they can play under the deck. They ran and shouted and jumped over piece of post they tired of rolling and threw the sticks that only fall in big winter winds. I spent time in the shed. Seeing what we had. Thinking about yard and garden, flowers and vegetables. I ignored the under-the-deck play making a note of the necessity of making an actual deck plan. We came back in dangerously close to dinner.
Thankfully we had plenty of leftovers.

I know spring isn't fully here. There will probably be one more snow that will cover the ground. The rain and the muck will come and the little stream through town will fill. There will be more days to play inside and temperatures that demand soup for dinner. But spring and new is on the way. Soon we will be spotting life everywhere. The thought makes me smile.