Spring Break

Usually at this time of year, I travel to a warmer and more southerly clime to enjoy a taste of springtime earlier than we have at home. And to escape "mud season."

This year, NH is having an early spring. As is the place I visited.

The flowers are amazing. Cherry blossom (everywhere), azalea (everywhere, but especially in my childhood friend's garden), camellia (ditto), dogwood (everywhere), wisteria (everywhere), roses (in my mother's garden)...like being in the Garden of Eden, day in, day out.












Last week I revisited the city and university where the Chap and I met--many many years ago, almost to the very day. We had been away so long we thought we'd need this guidebook.





He audited the television production class I taught in this studio. The rest is history!



On a day-trip we toured a historic house that belongs to a friend from hometown and schooldays(and relative of my BFF), filled with family artifacts and exquisitely furnished. With an amazing and period-appropriate garden.



In addition to garden-gazing, we enjoyed birdwatching. This bluebird has laid 4 eggs in the nesting box.





More later.

St. Patrick's Day

Sheep, photographed (by me) at Dunbeg on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, several years ago. A view of the Irish Spring. Have you ever seen grass so green? Me, either.

Yes, it's been a while since I blogged. Sorry about that. My life was overtaken by a particular project--well, a mission, really. On the 15th, the mission was successfully completed, and though I shall be peripherally involved in upcoming phases, I do not expect almost-daily (and nightly!) meetings, nor the compilation and editing of massive amounts of documentation within a fairly short time frame.

Ice went out completely on our little lake sometime on Tuesday the 13th. The remaining piece of snow, about 5 inches by 4 inches in size, will go out of the front yard sometime tonight. There's still a mound of snow here and there at the edge of the forest and the end of the drive where the snowplow piles it.

My snowdrops are free and clear, my bulbs are sprouting. Tomorrow or Monday I shall head outside to remove leaf litter and expose them to the warm sunshine.

The state of the local road is not to be described! It was dreadful, but attention from the town "highway department" has remedied the disastrous driving conditions. At least for now....

I spotted the first chipmunk zipping about on Wednesday. My Friend From the North Country had stayed overnight with us, and she saw it, too.

The crazy robin that attacks its reflection by head-banging the glass of windows and doors has returned.

My winter hibernation ended a few weeks back with a couple of jaunts south of New Hampshire--one only slightly south, the other south of the Mason-Dixon line. More such forays coming soon.

I spent all day at the diocesan Stewardship Institute at Lake Opechee--a lake adjacent to the Big Lake. It was a fantastic and informative gathering. And we had green cake! Well, partly green. Better than it sounds--quite delicious, in fact--and decorated with fondant shamrocks. A good time was had by all.

I've bracketed this post with photos from Ireland. Here is the dolmen at Poulnabrane, located in the odd and rocky terrain of The Burren in County Clare.

"March Forth!" Pt 2

Bit of a change from the previous photo. I'm fully dressed, and beside water rather than in it.

We often make our winter visit to the cottage on the Big Lake on my birthday, and after church that was our destination. The snow cover was navigable, and in our snow boots we had no difficulty walking from the car down the path to the cottage.



It's colder inside the house than outside, so we didn't linger but headed down to the dock. A very still day, no breeze, and the sunshine sometimes peeked throught the clouds. The house is much more visible at this season than when summer foliage is out.



Much more open water than is common at this time of year. No bob houses in our "front yard", meaning no ice fisherman. No snow machines. We did see them at the tip of the Bay, but the seasonal airplane landing strip isn't there.



Sometmes we had blue sky, which made a lovely reflection.



"Here I am! On my birthday!"



I enjoyed my usual pastime of tossing pebbles onto the ice shelf. Then we marched through the snow back to the car and went to Wolfeboro. Some friends met us for my birthday lunch at the awesome and ever-delicious El Centenario. I ordered a margarita. It seemed appropriate.

Now back home, enjoying a different but equally delicious special beverage. There is birthday cake. And I have many gifts to admire and enjoy. And there have been telephone calls from family and friends, much appreciated!

Truly a wonderful day.

March Forth! 2012 Edition

In my birthday suit. In the water, which I have enjoyed all my life long.

I'll be more appropriately garbed when I "march forth" on this, my natal day.

A report of festive activities to follow.

In Like A Lion

To Ruth's delight, and Jewel's bemusement, we are receiving the predicted amount of snowfall.

March is typically our snowiest month, and in this winter of sub-normal precipitation it's actually comforting to have about 8 inches of white stuff on the ground. Flurries began on Leap Day, as I attended a meeting and did some errands, and by bedtime only an inch or two had fallen. Lots more since then, and it's snowing all day. I'm happily hibernating here at the Lodge.



It's St. David's Day, the National Day of Wales and the Welsh. In past times folks pinned leeks to their clothes...nowadays daffodils suffice.



Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant hapus!