These are two of my mom’s favorite daffodil varieties, photos taken after they cut down the tree on Monday:
When I got home last night the full moon was out with thunderheads rolling by to the north and south of here. Distant thunder rose over the calls of the spring peepers. I fed Bode and let him out for a comfort break. He howled at the lightning flashes and would have liked to stay out a lot longer. Sure beat watching TV!
Later a storm went through with lots of lightning strikes accompanied by a concert of Bode’s howls. He didn’t feel the need to jump up on the bed though.
Last night we talked about how the Alleghenies are part of Appalacia and the spirit of the region. It was fitting this morning to see mist in the hollow, an image of home to me.
Yesterday morning two seedlings from the marigolds I started last week were up and as the day passed, more emerged. I put off doing taxes to plant some more seeds for transplanting outdoors later.
The sun has burned off the mist now and the sky is clear except for a few cirrus clouds. Yesterday I rushed to put in some onion seed in the bed anticipating the rain that didn’t come until after 9 PM. Now the air is very fresh from the storm and the sun is warming the moist soil. The trees are leafing out and the grass is getting greener by the day.
I have been seeing more bird species this week: a pair of swallows, flickers, a bluebird. Yesterday morning when I was walking Bode there was a catbird in a tree above Montgomery Lane. They and mockingbirds give themselves away in that they do everyone else’s songs only a little better. I have become especially fond of watching and listening to the goldfinches. They are even more acrobatic than the chickadees — hovering, perching upside down on the feeder hanger, and daredevil chases through the birch tree branches.
While I was soaking up some of the warm sunshine earlier today there was a flash of red at the bird feeder. It wasn’t the cardinals but a red headed woodpecker! I had heard them but didn’t see any until now.
I guess it is just an accident of the lunar cycle but I still feel creepy doing taxes during Holy Week. I usually put them off until the bitter end to make sure I spend as little time as possible on them. Part of my fear is that I will become fascinated with them and get creative. Shudder.
Seems to me we essentially are in an abusive relationship. If you pay taxes in advance, even years in advance, you don’t get a cent of interest, but make a mistake and owe the government and it is a different story. I mentioned a while back that democracy is a means, not an end and neglected to way what should be obvious. The goal is the wellbeing of the citizens of our country and the stewardship of our resources. From what I hear on the news, seems that has gotten lost in the shuffle.
