After a long winter, it is lovely to see the earth emerging from the mountains of snow that have buried us for weeks. Even though the remaining snow is dirty, the ground sodden, and the thawing ground begins to smell, the somewhat rotting scent of earliest spring earth. The robins have returned, woodpeckers are becoming active, and squirrels chatter around the apple trees. The morning light is bright and earlier every day and I love the longer days after the time change.
Unfortunately, smaller rodents are also on the move in spring. Last night - actually this morning at 2:30 a.m - I woke to find the cat leaping around my bed, chasing the very much alive mouse he'd brought into bed. It ducked under the bolster on one side of the bed while I did some leaping of my own. Then the silly cat lost track of it altogether and so did I, so I ended up moving downstairs to the couch until time for the 6:00 a.m alarm. To top it off, he caught it again!! Since it was still very much alive, I tossed the creature into a plastic container and evicted it outside. The joys of rural living! I really have to get some mousetraps though I dislike using them.
Our area got hit fairly hard by the recent CBC budget cuts and layoffs, hoping none of my former J-school classmates end up getting hit by it. Many of my journalism class (King's College, 1989) went on to work with the CBC. Must confess I'll miss Steven & Chris, enjoy wasting time watching their show when I have free afternoon time during the week, a guilty pleasure I'll have to give up.
We've had so many deer around the region it's been a road hazard at times. Large herds are moving around together near the highways and it's hard to avoid the poor things, a lot of casualties. No serious human injuries, but I certainly wish it were easier for wildlife and humans to co-exist.
For readers who enjoy nature and gardening, the Birds & Blooms magazine is a real find. Their photos are wonderful. You can get free wallpapers from http://www.birdsandblooms.com/ It's part of a "family" of magazines, Country Woman & others, distinguished by few or no ads and beautiful landscape, nature and animal photos.
I'm enjoying a 2008 Joan Baez CD produced by Steve Earle, Day after Tomorrow. Her voice hasn't quite the range it used to but is still very melodic - the title song, written by Tom Waits, made me cry the first time I listened to it. It's from the point of view of a young soldier, and heaven knows we're losing too many of them almost every week lately. My prayers and thoughts are with them often, a hard, hard road for the ones left behind. Blessings on them all this spring, and the rest of us too as we head into the Easter season.
Just looking out the window now, I see the gray skies have cleared, I'm looking at bright sunshine and clear blue sky, and it's Friday too!! No 6:00 a.m alarm tomorrow. Think I'll take a walk before the school bus gets here, warmer days are too good to resist. Happy spring to everyone out there.
"A little madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King."
-Emily Dickinson
