Some things are just too good to last and it stands to reason it's always what gives us pleasure and makes us happy that has its finite place in our lives. This is a trifling instance, of course, but the wonderful hot and sunny weather we've been enjoying the past four days has timed-out. As sudden as its appearance was, its disappearance seemed even more sudden. When I first woke just after six this morning there was a roseate light emanating from the out-of-doors flooding through our bedroom windows. and I thought, rather smugly, 'another lovely day in the offing'.

I fell back asleep and when I awoke it was to a dark bedroom. The weather tide had turned. There was a stiff cold breeze coming through the open window and we could hear rain in the eavestrough. And it rained and it rained. Jackie and Jillie were less than thrilled at the prospect of being shoved out to the backyard for their morning business. Well, spring rain after all, is a necessity for the spring flowers, the bulbs deep in the flower beds preparing to emerge.

 

Every time we poked our noses out the door it was raining, at times heavily enough to make for a sodden backyard. But goodness, a week ago we thought the snowpack would never melt. That's progress. Besides, we were busy in the house, because Mondays are house-cleaning days. Jackie and Jillie followed us about a bit disconsolately. But eventually the rain stopped, and what a surprise, the sun came out for a brief, very brief goodbye.

And then it rained again. But wait; that was the rain bidding us goodbye, too. And although the sky continued to host stormy dark clouds, further rain held off, giving us the opportunity to get out with the puppies for a brief turn in the ravine. A very sodden forest, one that was already quite steeped in snowmelt, now was even more under water. 

 

All that rain transformed the yellow-headed Coltsfoot spring flowers that had just emerged, swelling their bases and turning the bright yellow flowerheads to pink. We've never seen that ever before in all our years of familiarity with the flower. 

 

 

Others besides ourselves ventured out to the forest trails for a brief whiff of fresh (albeit cold again). The trails were slippery with exposed clay. And it will take awhile before the forest springs for its leafed appearance, but we could see ample evidence it's working hard on accomplishing that wondrous act.

 

 

On our way to completing the very short circuit we took this afternoon we noted the presence of a few small clumps of pulmonaria (Lungwort) plants, already in bloom. There are times when we come across cultivated plants that have somehow seeded themselves on the forest floor, and these obviously did. Seeds brought in on someone's boots, on a dog's haircoat, on bird feathers, or blown in by the wind. Another of nature's many little surprises.