Now I Remember Why I Love Springtime

Today is one of those blissful days of Northwest Spring.  

The sky is blue, the clouds white and fluffy.  It is bright.  

The air smells of honey.

  

The birds serenade, singing their tiny hearts out.  

Mourning doves coo on the wires overhead.  

The Man Himself is in the Holey Land golfing with his chum.

The garden is full and gloriously green.  Even the weeds look fine and healthy.  Naturally.

And so into the garden.  Whether it is moving seedlings, weeding or just enjoying the scene,  it feeds the soul.  (There is also the unkind reminder that winter time indoors with books and things, while most pleasant, does nothing to keep muscles up to form!)

Today the particular delight is digging up extra baby things to give to a gardening friend who is just beginning.  Ladies Mantle, Welsh poppy, tiny pink violets, all will be shared.  These are among my favorite spring things and being a passionate gardener, I want others to thrill to those plants and thrill me.

Back to other gardening delights. Working and weeding among the herbs remind me why I began gardening 30 years ago.  The bracing smell of rosemary, the  sweet licorice fragrance of Sweet Cicily, this you can almost taste.  Setting out the basil bring to mind all the good eats in the season ahead.  The sage is looking lovely, the nobby heads of the chives are just beginning to color.  The lovage, which is one of my garden essentials, is tall and lovely and has already made its way to the salad bowl.

The red currant bush is now in fruit, its tiny green jewel-like clusters hanging generously about.

The rhubarb has  begun to be 'sauced'.

So there it is for today.  Nothing brilliant or wise to be said.  It's only to share the stirrings that move the soul to the wonder of The Promise.

"While the earth remains,

seed time and harvest,

cold and heat, summer and winter, 

and day and night shall not cease.

...

Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness of Himself,

for He did you good and kindnesses, 

and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,

satisfying your hearts with nourishment and happiness."