At long last, just as Spring's adoring public was beginning to despair that she would ever stop teasing us and present herself in her fully determined glory in our atmosphere and landscape, she has decided to appear. Full sun, refreshing breezes, and a high yesterday and for the next three days of 23 degrees. What more could we possibly ask for?

On Friday, while a pleasant day, we had no idea that the following day would be so absolutely perfect. Friday was when my husband decided it was time to put up the canvass awning over the deck, and reinstall the summer furniture for our outdoor house extension in anticipation of our long, lazy summer months of pure pleasure.

In the ravine, coltsfoot has bloomed bright yellow, almost indistinguishable but for its stalk and close scrutiny, with dandelions in their glory, and shy trout lilies can be glimpsed on the forest floor, their small yellow heads straining toward the sun. Now too, the trilliums are opening their blooms and when the sun glances on the crimson petals they absolutely gleam with joy. The honeysuckles and the dogwood are putting on their green coats and will soon both begin to blossom. We're on the lookout now for the flowering of the Serviceberry trees, and the ferns are unfurling just a tad after schedule, while the catkins of the hazelnut shrubs promise a productive season ahead and as well for the raspberry canes coming into leaf.

In our gardens early blooming perennials have begun to evidence themselves, poking out of the fertile soil, from lilies to peonies, coral bells to hostas, spirea to lilacs, burning bush to sandcherry, climbing hydrangea to honeysuckle.

Yesterday, off we went to drop by two neighbourhood garden centres. Our first purchase was two new pairs of secateurs on sale at an irresistible price. I am seldom able to resist Clematis and last year we lost several, so this was an opportunity to replace them, and they were quickly dug into the garden for vertical display this coming summer. Some of our clematis have already shown new growth, others leave us questioning whether they will return. The Forget-me-nots are up, the Japanese spurge has bloomed already, lilies of the valley coming up, and so are the Bleeding Hearts.

We bought baskets of bright lovely verbena, bacopa, million bells, begonias, New Guinea impatiens and fuschia, hanging three in the front garden and five on the deck, for ultimate pleasure in viewing them at close range.

Riley is not having any problems returning to the outdoor life now that outdoor life possibilities have finally entered our landscape.