May entered like a pretty damsel stirring a wave of aesthetic appreciation among attendees at a formal-dress ball. No less was expected, truth to tell. May is the testing-ground of a summer to come. And this well-gowned maiden brought with her genteel warmth, a glittering sun and a gentle breeze. Garden-party time approaches. There's a palpable feeling of freedom wafting on that breeze. And the sun has been busy inciting new growth to riotously soak in its warmth and light. 

 Garden take notice -- here we come! Soon. I see you peonies, sneaking your bright red feelers out of the garden soil. And you, hydrangeas, I can see those tender greet shoots on those winterborne branches. Aha. Magnolias, think I haven't noticed those swelling buds?! And you, roses, how're you gonna bloom in June if you haven't bothered yet to poke a few shoots out of those greening canes?

Irving felt so energized by the day -- 8C when we came down for breakfast and destined to quickly rise to 18C by mid-afternoon -- that he decided he'd wash and vacuum the car. It took him quite awhile. He's not fussy about driving a sparkling-clean car, and doesn't wash it often, but when he does he takes it right down to every last little nook and cranny. The car mats will be drying in the sun for most of the afternoon.

And there was Melanie across the street, washing her car, too. And Lynne next door brought Irving up to date on what's been happening with her backyard neighbours. Another few houses for sale back there. We know one family well, and won't be glad to see them downsize to a bungalow where there are no stairs to climb. 

We did finally get around to corralling Jackie and Jillie -- could be it was the other way around -- to get out into the ravine, on a divine spring day of the first of May...

It is incredible what nature can get up to in one single day when her elements and her seasons are perfectly aligned. The measure of emerging foliage between yesterday and today is quite simply amazing. Here for one day, May has already accelerated awakening vegetation in the forest. The forest floor is still that dried, dun colour, but here and there bits of green are evolving.

Birds are ecstatic over spring's arrival. There are goldfinches now flitting about in their inimitable graceful swoops and a chorus of song rivalling those of the cardinals. The former a choir, the latter soloists. Of the owls, no sight today, though one acquaintance informed us she had seen the male a bit of a distance from the breeding tree. And, lucky her, she had heard them yesterday, taken some close-up photos and by chance had captured one of the owlets exposed, she said as it balanced on the opening to the nest. Indistinct, she said, but identifiable. I've had a few of those...

This year is preparing to present a bumper crop of trilliums. Yesterday we saw one only. Today we saw a wide proliferation of them. And for the first time in my trillium experience, we came across a tight patch of newly-emerged trilliums. We usually see them with a respectable distance between each of the plants though at times two or three can be seen growing in very close proximity. On this occasion it was more like a dozen, squeezing up against one another in a growth-patch of family togetherness.