Spring-y Spring

Our backyard is an explosion of all the seasonal flowers -- daffodils, jonquils, hyacinth, narcissus, crocus, forsythia, some red flower I don't know, and a tiny white, tall-stem one growing out of the grass that I don't know either. It seems that another daffy opens even as I observe them. The college's b&g people still have not removed the tree limbs brought down in a December storm, so walking about my backyard is problematic -- and there are so many smaller branches, and bark, and so on -- it's a mess.

The birds are making racket continuously, but it is a melodious racket, so pleasant background music.

I lifted the winter storm glass on the kitchen screen doors this morning as it was nearly 60 when we got up and now has reached the day's projected high of 74. The inner kitchen doors are now open, to let fresh air into the house. Alas, I'm coughing as badly as I ever did: next door neighbor had insulation pumped into her upper stories ... I saw much stuff floating in the air around the pumping truck. I wonder if this is the cause? Or is is merely spring pollen, an allergic reaction -- I've never suffered from allergies before -- that's always been el V.'s malady, not mine.  That long tube through which the insulation was pumped: it coiled back upon itself, it looped, it shimmied the insulation materials through in a peristalsis to the top of house.  It looked like Valdemort!  My neighbor ladies agreed, that it was so -- they further volunteered that the Harry Potter movies are their favorites -- these are women who are 65 if they are a day!

I've been walking about on breaks, gazing upon the flowering ornamental short trees, attempting to decide if they are redbud, crabapples, pears, and etc. Oddly, I see nary a tulip here anywhere in town. Is it too early? I am looking forward to lilacs.  I wonder if we'll see goslings and ducklings in a little while?

This evening: Tonight's perigee full moon! It is hanging there, pouring out its luminous white light over the dancing high tide river.

An osprey has built a nest on one of the pilings of the mansion's dock that reaches out into the river next to the public deck. The ducks are swimming in pairs - one male, one female. I was assured that the ducks had been mating all day and pretty soon we'd see ducklings. The other birds were still singing up a storm.

All day long, every time I looked at my backyard flowers, at the flowering bushes and trees, more flowers had opened and bloomed. The air smells so sweet.  The humans are in shorts, sitting on their porches and patios, drinks in hand, adoring the warm soft air, sans mosquitos and chiggers.