The Wintergreen Springtime of 2013

The equinoctial spring arrived last Thursday with a beam of light down our upstairs hallway. TheCastle is built on an east/west axis perpendicular to the North Star and we can mark the seasons by the sunlight coming up in the windows of the east bedroom and setting into the window of the west bedroom.  Stellar observations notwithstanding, it is a chilly spring if it is spring at all. Even yesterday, with it's blue skies and bright sunlight, had a breeze with a nip of winter in it. There is some greening around me, but it's a winter green and the air smelled as if there were some gusts of snow not far away. 

Still and all - Callie was not to be ignored yesterday. She'd gone 2 days without a walk and she was either getting a walk or getting into trouble. BD was working on the boat, taking advantage of a brief day of paint-drying sunshine and Callie was eager to help. In the interests of peace and safety I took her for a walk instead.

She couldn't wait to dash out on her three good legs into the barley. See how she gleams in the sunshine.

But she's a good girl and comes when she calls. In fact, she's called so often these days that she's much better behaved than she was before the broken leg. Shes also much more attuned to me than she was. It's common for a Lab to have a Special Person and then to be merely friendly to the rest of the pack and since BD is home all the time he was and is her Special Person. Even before her break I had started taking her on a Girls Only walk in the morning to form a closer bond with her. In fact, we continue to do that. Also, she's glad for more cuddling from Mama - which is giving me more status. 

I hadn't intended for Saturday's morning walk to be just us girls but Jack was very comfortable, thank you, underneath his bush so we started off without him. Lots of opportunities for sniffs and squints and peeks.

But at the big bend, Jack joined us. Fortunately, Callie, way out front as usual, did not see what I saw - way up ahead.

You probably can't see it either but if I use my maximum zoom and stand very still look what Jack sniffed and I saw.

I called Miss Callie back before any stray breezes could carry their scent to her but later that afternoon she did sort of follow a rabbit. She will walk much more closely supervised from now on. And she's not allowed to wrestle with Jack either, though she tries at every opportunity. I'm not sure if he misses that or not, but we are not taking any chances on a tussle turning into a tumble and undoing all the good work Drs. L and L did  2 weeks ago.

Instead, we went out and got the mail - and looked back at the beauty that is a spring day; even a Wintergreen spring day. Don't you just want to drive down this deliciously pretty lane?  And imagine how beautiful it will be in a month when all those trees have leafed out?

Of course, Jack and Callie take it all for granted - but in that good way a dog takes things for granted. Not callously but all-accepting - like some Buddhist priest.

The afternoon continued all blues and white clouds. Callie prefers to stay outdoors when she's not sleeping on the couch and she looked so cute out front that I had to go play with her. I will hand wrestle with her while she's lying down so that she can't get hurt. She's good for only about 5 minutes and then, since it's not the real thing, she grows bored. But Mama is always good for a cuddle and a snuggle.

Just so long as I don't try to take her picture.  "Mo - om! Don't take my picture with that silver clicky thing!"  just like a teenager.

Here she is, like Gollum, guarding her precious(es). Goodness - can there be a plural of Precious when it's a proper noun? 3 leg bones and a skull - what more could a dog ask for in life?

And here she is at her most noble. She looks like she's about to burst into Brutus' speech to the Romans. 

Yesterday was also a great day to dry clothes on the clothes line. I actually hang clothes out all year 'round and only use a dryer in town if we get extended rain. Most of the time I prefer this but one of these days I'll get up off it and buy a dryer. It's more laziness and a bit of miserliness but I am sure Mother Nature will one day push me into Lowes with a credit card in hand.


We took another longer walk through the woods in the afternoon. Once we got to the lane Callie was hot and thirsty and since her stitches are healed, she got to take a swim. Ahh. how sweet that cold water is.

See my shaddow? And BD's? and the very top of Jack's head? Yes. He has entirely too much dignity to get all wet like that while Mama is holding her silver clicky thing.

Today is a completely different day. It's colder and grey and it's also Sunday which means everything starts back up tomorrow. Back to werk and it's Budget Time, and time to get the summer reading program on it's feet, and oh la - just so much.  I will certainly have to think about it tomorrow - even if I am not at Tara.  And now - it is snowing.