another walk

Another lovely, sunny day. I can get used to this, and the mountains of snow seem like a faraway land now.

This morning I was in the gardens by the pool, pulling the dead mats of grass and leaves off to find moist soil and little greenlings underneath. It was like something from The Secret Garden, searching under the brown to find the new little plants. It makes me feel like greeting them.

D is on the third of his dates with each of the girls this weekend. M got taken to a movie last night (Horton Hears a Who), A was taken to breakfast and assorted things this morning, and now R is out to see Nim's Island with him. While he was home this morning the five of us and Sam the Mighty Hunter retraced my steps of last week's walk.

What a difference. The snow is reduced to a few forlorn, crystalline drifts hiding in the shade of the cedars, the extra streams have vanished and left behind muddy spots. The creek is still high and rushing, but some rocks have appeared above the water and in the sunshine, all was glittery and sparkly.

As we were wandering home, a rush a few feet ahead of us caught our eyes, I thought it was a groundhog, until I saw the tail and realized it was a muskrat. Sam, still seeming to feel every inch the hunter, went after it, but it was too quickly into the water. Sam jumped in and proceeded to stick his nose in the water while we watched the muskrat easily swim across the creek, emerging out of reach and safe on the other side. Sam was sure it must still be at his feet, wasn't that where it disappeared? The look on his face was pretty amusing, and we (well, the humans) were all glad the muskrat was safe and sound.

It's nice to find things like this when you walk in what I suppose is our backyard. I like this time of year, walking and remembering why this place is worth the work, then sitting on an old fence rail in the warmth of the sun, dreaming.

Here is my waterfall, my special place, today. By mid summer I will be able to sit on a rock in mid-stream that is now under water, and listen to the soft trickle. Today, D was eyeing it and asking, "how would you shoot those rapids?"

And here's a little peaceful spot that we found. R decided it belonged in Middle Earth. Of course, in two months' time, the mosquitoes will be crazy, but for today we could stand and enjoy it.