a moment in spring

The magnolias outside of the office have started to bloom, and the sky was such a deep blue color that I stepped out at lunch time, and snapped a quick pic. When I came back inside, I discovered that one of my coworkers was busy taking a picture of me at the same time. Thanks for the photo, A.W.!

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So this is what I look like to other people, eh? Just meandering on the lawn, and looking around as if I need to be escorted back to a padded room? At that time, I was looking for a shot that gave me blue sky for a background, and I did not want the building to be in the shot. I was paying attention to the angle, making sure that I got close to a ninety degree angle off the sun, maximizing polarization for the deepest blue in the sky. And one more thing. There were bees buzzing about, and I was hoping one would come back to pose for me, but they seemed more interested in the higher blossoms. One nice bee landed on my shirt sleeve and visited long enough for me to take a blurry picture, but not long enough for a crisp, clear image. That's alright... I like the flower by itself.

what???

What's this?! Snow?! Barely, but still! No, it can't be. I specifically remember knowing that I was through with the snow for this season. It's time to tune up the lawn mower and sharpen the blades. We had a day that was in the 60's, and everything!

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Perhaps it is manna. Yeah, let's go with that.

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I just had a thought about cold weather... Suppose it was zero degrees today, and they said it was going to be twice as cold tomorrow... what would that temperature be?

spring has sprung

Sprung indeed! What's this?! That tiny purple and gold indicator is an alarm of sorts. It's all I can do to walk away and not step on it. Why? It is an ominous warning of the impossible demands on my time over the next few weeks. I need to ...

*get the lawn equipment ready for action, sharpen blades, check the motors, search for those gloves again,

*groom the dog

*fix & lube all the bikes

*move winter stuff into storage

*begin repairs outside the house, especially the garage (grrrr)

*cultivate the soil for my wife's garden

*hack down a million weeds

*plant new grass seed

*play frisbee, catch and soccer with the kids

*fix the grill

*renew my fishing license, etc.

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Clearly, I don't have enough time for all of this! I'll need to prioritize. Play with the kids, do some grilling and fishing. I'll try to get everything else done, but first-things-first.

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Yeah, I hear what you're thinking... I better make sure my wife's garden is a priority. Thanks.

crocus

This is one of the first flowers to bloom in front of the house this spring. That's a crocus, right?

. So anyway, there was a bumper sticker I saw last night, between the buckets of rain. It said something to the effect of: "If you love the creator, take care of his creation."

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I get it. I try to be responsible and do the right thing. The thing is, do I really love The Maker or just the things he made? Am I enthralled with The Benefactor or the benefits? There's nothing wrong with appreciating the good stuff He provides, as long as our priorities don't get flipped.

Sky Watch Friday!

Reluctant Sunset

Spring is... um, springing, and though many trees are still bare and the lawns dormant, we are enjoying the beginnings of this change of seasons.

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This photo represents the sun's effort to usher in the spring. The sun wants to stay up later. Notice how it hangs on, waiting 'till the very last moment before yielding to the night.

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But the conversion from last season is not instantaneous. Spring unravels in many layers, such as...

♥ waking to bird songs in the morning... they sound so cheery and optimistic

♣ the distinct popping sound from playing catch with mitts and its hypnotic cadence

♦ adjusting bicycles seats and filling tires for little riders

♠ garage sales, car washes, lemonade stands...

(There is no special reason for those symbols. It just looked like something fun.)

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Please tell me what kind of things you look forward to in the spring.

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Wanna join Sky Watch?

fine fescue

Hooray, it's raining!!!

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The 2008 lawn care season has officially begun. The hedges were trimmed, and the front lawn overseeded with Tall Fescue.

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Warning: If you do not care about lawns and grasses, today's post will be dangerously boring!

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The most common seed blends around here consist of Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass and Ryegrass. My favorite is Creeping Red, but most packages that have this seed are blended with one or more Ryegrasses. I do not like Ryegrasses. They grow in clumps; they're difficult to rake over, ...and personally, I think they're not too distant a cousin of Crabgrass, which is a weed.

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Bluegrass is very nice, but it has a wide blade. Fescue has very thin blades. Walking barefoot on well-groomed fine Fescue is an euphoric experience, which I highly recommend.

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My point is, the more of the good stuff you put in, the less room there is for other things to grow... like clovers, thistle and dandelions (grrrrr).

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But there are other benefits to good lawn care. It is good exercise, and a great way to chat with the neighbors. And since I intend to be a positive contribution to my community, the same rule applies. The more good stuff we sow, the better results we are likely to see on our streets. And less things like litter, rudeness, etc.