Some of you may remember the song, “What a Difference a Day Makes.”  That certainly is true.  Especially this morning.  As I looked out the office window the snowy scene of yesterday had transformed into an Emerald Eden.  Wow!

Compare this to the photo of the same scene that was taken and posted yesterday.

The psalmist wrote: “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  A new day can certainly bring a whole different perspective?  I’m sure that’s why the wise ones tell us to “sleep on it.”

Yesterday, spring ruled.  Snow banks had dissolved.  The landscape was quickly greening–you could almost see an hour-by-hour change.  Then . . .

Overnight temps dropped, the wind blew and this happened.

Hey! What happened last night?  When I appeared with camera in hand, one angry looking robin flew away.  He had the look of one who has been insulted and deeply offended by this change.

Was it the blood moon that brought this?  Perhaps it’s because today is April 15?

If it was the latter, is that related to the fact that I had to go in for a blood draw today?  The roads were not good driving into town.  They were much improved on the return trip.  However that people at the walk-in care center in Hastings are all super good.  Jessica didn’t stab me today, it was Kelly’s turn to play Dracula.  However, because Jessica is my “good luck lab tech,” she touched the vial for me.  Okay Jessica got that reputation because she’s done all the other post surgical blood tests.  And they’ve all been as close to perfect as it gets.  It’s been six months since the cancer surgery and I’m hoping for another good report.  Perhaps then I can have my follow-on monitoring done closer to home.

Hope spring eternal.  Even on an April 15.

I love to see those early signs of life in the gardens.  I’m feeling a little sad that we have no crocus or hyacinth to point the way into spring for us.  Surely, that must be done for next year.  Right?

We have snow drops, which we may actually see in another week or so.  Because they are planted on the west side of the barn in a shady spot, they do not come up early.

A couple of years ago Sylvia planted some hollyhocks in “Granny’s Garden.”  It is a sunny flower garden beside the house that was given that name by our granddaughter.  They are flourishing.

Hollyhocks enjoy the sun in this southeast facing garden.

Meanwhile, beside the driveway in the upper walk-out garden, the daffodils are showing signs of life.

How much longer before Daffy shows us her petty-coat and skirt?

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of the catnip.  Our best crop came from an area that was disturbed by a (yet unfinished) construction project.  I managed to transplant some and it has taken hold.

Nellie is going to love this!

I harvested a single leaf and took it to Nellie, who became excited about her gift.  She rewarded me with lots of “kitty kisses” on the finger and thumb, which I used to carry it to her.  I’m happy for her, but even happier for us human folk

Yes! Rhubarb coming up. How long until we can make the first pie?

Did you know that another name for rhubarb is “pie plant?”  Great name for it.

Lots of garden work coming up this year.  I’m ready.

Now that winter is over, that is . . .  It was a hard, tough winter for all God’s creatures–at least it was in this part of the world.  Take the deer, for instance.

This shot from March shows how the bold deer have nibbled away at the cedars that flank this end of our house.

They have eaten on cedars that surround our house.

We had a hungry deer population this winter.  Can you see how much more they have eaten of the cedar beside the basement door?

At the bottom of the lawn, they also went after the yews.

In the past 14 years, this is the only time the deer have eaten this much of our yews.

The sad part of this story is that everything looks so dead this spring.  They say that spring will arrive late and be slow in doing so.  But on the positive side of the ledger, the slow warming trend allowed much of the snow melt to sink into the ground and we weren’t faced with severe flooding as we have seen in past years.  It also resulted in fewer problem areas along the secondary (dirt) road that we live beside.

Rejoice the sun is shining and green is peeking.  More on that next time.

For 19 years, Sylvia and I lived just a few minutes drive from Storrs, home of the University of Connecticut.  During that time the sports department hired Geno Auriemma as head coach of women’s basketball.  And a legend began.

In 1995, we were aware that the UConn women were in the NCAA final four.  Sylvia and I walked into a small restaurant about 20 miles from our home.  We were looking for a good place to eat, and this was a scouting trip.  Oh yes it was.

We were seated opposite each other in a booth.  At one end of the room someone had setup a TV set.  The championship game was just starting.  Soon Sylvia and I were seated on the same side of the booth so we could both watch the action.

When we left that restaurant, UConn women had won their first national championship.  Sylvia and I were UConn fans.  It wasn’t hard to follow the Huskies the next season.  Every game was televised, either nationally or state-wide on Public TV.

Last night UConn finished a perfect (40-0) season and the women lifted the university’s ninth national championship in women’s basketball trophy.  Wow!

Photo courtesy of ESPN

And so it came about that I watched my first basketball game of the season, which was also the last game of the season.  It also reminded me of why I had been such an avid fan when we lived in Connecticut.

Photo courtesy Hartford Courant

Yesterday was a great day.  Yes, UConn won, but the best part of yesterday is that our younger son, Scott, celebrated another birthday.

The sun is shining and the weather is good.  Ah yes, life is good!

My friend, Bob, posted a photo of his three cats napping on a (for lack of a better description) kitty tower.  I liked the looks of it and inquired about details in an e-mail to him.  His response included a link to the online store where he had purchased his tower.

I followed the link, checked out the options and placed an order.  It arrived on Tuesday just before lunch time.  The bulky 59-pound package was not something I could easily carry, so I rolled it over obstacles and pushed it across the floors.

Soon, I had the parts laid out and had begun assembly.  It went together easily.  For now, I’ve left off the highest level.  The photo shows why.

Assembled and in place

The big question would this appeal to Nellie as much as it did to me.  It didn’t take long to discover the answer.

“I like it.”

Then she discovered her favorite part of her tower.  From there she can watch me in my recliner, and she can see what’s happening in her kitchen.  (That’s where her food bowl is, and a gal must keep an eye on that.  Right?

Queen of all she surveys

Life is good.

The big barn door that we use the most, has been a problem.  Frost, ice, drifted snow can make it very difficult to slide the door open.  I’ve wanted to do something about it.  And finally did.

Stage one complete

The contractor lives on our road, but on the other side of the Interstate (no bridge on our secondary, dirt road).  He had to frame in a new doorway–the original doorway was too wide for a standard size door.

Stage two — Finishing touches

The final step was to install new steel on the wall and trim around the door.  The new overhead door works like a dream.  And it looks good too. 😎

Job completed.

Perhaps, if I save $$ for a few more years, I can replace the other door.  Maybe even install an opener.  Nah!  No need for those frills.

After a long, hard, cold, snow-filled winter the neighborhood buzz is about spring.  Our friends are sharing reports of sighting robins and red-winged black birds and we’ve seen killdeer.  However it was Sunday, when I saw the first sure sign of spring.

We had gone out for lunch and were surprised that the restaurant had live music.  We sat next to the guitar-playing singer.  She was good!  Later she sat the guitar down and went to work at the keyboard.  Wow!  What an eclectic mix of classic hymns, show tunes and pop music kept coming our way carried on a rich and powerful voice.

Just before we left, she asked Sylvia and I what kind of music we liked.  We answered, “Country.”  She sang a couple of Patsy Cline songs.  Afterward I told her I was wrong.  “How’s that?” she wanted to know.  I replied, “I thought no one could sing those songs better than Patsy Cline.”

The singer turned to Sylvia and said that she knew her from somewhere.  Sylvia asked if she was the daughter of Bob and Rosemary.  She replied in the affirmative.  Then Sylvia told her that we live right across the road from them.  “Wow,” she said, “You’re the one that brings over the yummy fudge and other goodies at Christmas time, aren’t you.”  Sylvia is the one and told her so.

We were driving home feeling good after the nice meal (fish), the music and the chat.  I looked into the sky and saw that first sure sign of spring.

The buzzard of paradise

Yes, I was seeing a turkey buzzard.  Okay.  Spring is now officially here.  What marks the sure sign of spring for you?

This morning, I was catching up with my Facebook friends when I came across a post to which a friend had replied.  It asked the question, “What fairytale creature are you.”  My friend said, “A dwarf, and my name is Grumpy.”  Must not be a morning person.

I’m not a morning person either, but I had to find another answer.  (At this point I’m reminded of standing in the outfield watching the baseball coming my way.  It grew larger and larger.  What was going on?  And then it hit me.)  Then it hit me.  I’m from Michigan’s lower peninsula.  Therefore, I’m a troll.

Do they get good wi-fi under the bridge?

They call us “trolls,” because we live under (south of) the bridge.  I remember the days before the bridge, when we took a ferry to cross between Mackinaw City and St Ignace.

A few had posted versions of “It’s a great winter we’re having this spring.”  That seemed very appropriate to me.  I woke this morning to a snow white world. Even now, snow is falling from the sky.

Excuse me.  I’m going to crawl under my bridge.