Friday, March 20, 2009

The First Day of Spring

Friday, March 21, the first day of Spring, and a day off from work.  It is a warm sunny day.  A day perfect for a walk with Mollie.  

Mollie and I are escorted along the upper road by a myriad of butterflies.  The butterflies a drinking water and minerals.  The water is melting from near by snow banks.

We are accompanied by lovely brown mourning cloak butterflies, and orange butterflies.  The mourning cloaks are live swatches of brown velvet edged with old fashion ivory lace.  The orange butterflies (I need to research what type of butterflies they are) are orange with brown spots with wings that look like torn paper.  They are able to disappear on a tree trunk when the close they wings together, and then when wings open there is a flash of color.

We walk near the valley of snowdrops.  They are in bloom.  There scent fills the air with the perfume of spring.  It has drawn emerging honey bees to harvest the snowdrops pollen.  The snow drops are prettily dancing on a slight breeze.  The outershirts of three white petals open wide providing a glimpse of the green underskirts dotted and edged in white lace.

Near an old wall of blue limestone and cement, we find a few violets in bloom.  There scent reminds me of the violet perfume candies that my grandmother bought for us as children.  I pick a bouquet to take this touch of spring into the house.

Mollie and I complete our walk, still accompanied by butterflies.  

The weather forecast is for winter to return.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Nearing the end of Winter

The weather has started to warm.  The snow is starting to melt.  

Walking Mollie has become very interesting as the melting snow on the road has either turned to ice or has the consistency of sugar.  In both cases you slip and slide.

But this is a great indication that winter is nearing its end.  And then Spring!

Spring with the renewal of life, flowers blooming everywhere, and the bright green of newly leafing trees.