Guaranteed. A year from now we won't remember how disappointing this April has been; too cold, too windy, too wet, too snowy. But if I'm really interested, I could always riffle through to back pages in my diary and see it recorded there. When we lived in Toronto, where we grew, up weather was far more moderate and April was a true rescue from a procrastinating winter. Our middle child was born in April and I can recall in mid-April of the following year she was practising her walking skills on the lawn, dressed only in a light summer frock.

 

 

In April we used to really break out of the winter mold, by driving our three rambunctious children out to Niagara-on-the-Lake, stopping first at Niagara Falls and Queenston Heights for a packed lunch. For a while it became a family tradition until we moved away from Toronto in 1972. We couldn't do that here in the Ottawa Valley where winter really lingers and spring is far too shy to intrude until he finally departs. 

 

Now, however, that it's the last day of April, a chastised spring has fully entered and we're bathing in warm temperatures, full sun and a tamed wind. Irving went out after breakfast to remove all the protective plastic bags he used to cover our garden statuary and urns he had placed on them to preserve their structural integrity rather than allow them to 'age' under the assault of winter winds, sleet/snow, ice and frigid temperatures. Even so, after so many years the 'stone' objects in place for so many years (molded poured concrete) are showing signs of their age. The ornamentation once finely articulated is now weather-worn and less distinct. And here and there cracks are beginning to appear.

 

Jackie and Jillie decided to join Irving in the backyard and so did I. And the glorious feeling of the brilliant sun warming us induced Jillie to sprawl out to soak up the sun, while her brother ranged about here and there, looking for squirrels. And I, I went about the garden peering closely at everything. Some of the peonies are beginning to send up shoots. The green swords of irises are manifesting their renewed presence, and tufts of lily foliage everywhere. Tulip spears are up, but no sign of any interior stems and flowerheads yet.

 

Before long we set off for the ravine. For a change, no sweaters for the puppies and lighter gear for us. As is usual for a Saturday there were few others from the wider community out on the forest trails, Nonetheless from time to time, familiar dogs would converge on us, their humans eventually catching up. There's a year-and-a-half-old Hungarian Vizsla we see on occasion who honoured us with his beautifully proportioned presence; his eyes and his snout the very same burnished-burgundy as his haircoat.

 

We noted that the foliage of trout lilies is now in evidence, but it will be a while before they mature enough so that flowers can be seen; the plant regeneration is yet young. And we were close to incredulous to spot the appearance of the first trillium. Surely, it's too soon?! One single trillium, none others apparent in our view of the area where we generally tend to see them first every spring. These are purple (red) trilliums not the white we're far more familiar with. And we see the occasional Painted Lady trillium every year. It's the effect of the Leda clay soil.

 

There are some areas of the ravine, however, a bit more difficult to access, on the hillsides, where small drifts of white trilliums can be found. They tend to bloom a bit later than the purple variants. I know where to look for them and I'll do just that as time and spring progress.