Ferns

Another one more of those fabulous spring moments.... the beginnings of a little plot of wonderfully big ferns right ourside our back door every year!

Look! Up in the sky!

I love grapevines, and other things of the forest that form natural spirals. This one seems to have lost whatever it spiraled around, but grapevines are pretty sturdy things!

Lilac City - Rochester

Very tiny beginnings of spring - I didn't cut it off - honest -- just a file card behind!

We have a great Lilac Festival here ----- http://www.lilacfestival.com/ - May 11-20 this year. That little cluster above has a way to go in 2 1/2 weeks.

And along the canal today a Canadian friend!

Spring comes along the Erie Canal

So many things to see along the canal today..... a tiny bit of green...... how long till the berries are ripe?

This little wooly bear spent the whole winter somewhere around here, and was out to find a prime spot for a coccoon!

Paint Brush before --- above, and after --- below!

Lots more, including a pair of ducks, a garter snake, a Canada goose, and a few twists and turns, but more about that later ....... got in 11.5 miles today for a good start to my summer!

Bicycle Day

Every spring, Robert Frost's line comes to mind --- "Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold."


Nothing Gold Can Stay
Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay.

Got my bike out Friday - put on 2 miles going to get some air in the tires, and Saturday got to one of my favorite spots - a bridge over the Genesee River. Very little spring green to be found yet. The lilac in the yard has tiny leaves emerging- the hedge seems to have had a hard winter - very brown, but close inspection shows very tiny buds with tiny green lines between the scales! Those daffodils are out again, but may soon have to give way to the new gas line going down our street.

Bicycles seem to be emerging from basements and garages. Like mine, they are a bit soft in the tire, and a little stiff - like their owners after a winter of sitting around? Other odd references to bicycles recently --- Bicycle Day was this past week - seems the person who discovered LSD rode his bike home after trying it for the first time in 1943 --- evidently quite an experience? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Day#Bicycle_Day

Today's Writer's Almanac - a Garrison Keillor production that hits my e-mail box every day - includes a poem called "Bicycle Spring" by Kevin FitzPatrick. Check it out at http://www.elabs7.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=148124&mlid=499&siteid=20130&uid=15da4f022a

Subscribe if you really like a moment of uplifting each day.

Anyway, my bike still serves me well all these many years after my Dad propelled me down that cinder driveway sometime back in the 1950's. Between my Dad's good advice, and those sharp cinders I learned quickly. The lesson stuck, and even my arthritic hip that does not like a walk down the block seems to enjoy a few miles on the bike!

I think I'll add a new Label - "The old Erie Canal" because for the next few months a lot of my good moments and stories will come from the canal, the folks who ride along it with me, and my bicycle.

More Art at home from a happy customer

A happy customer combined one of our dancers with a favorite quote to decorate her bedroom!

Old Friendship renewed!

Many years ago, about 40 actually, I went to Divinity School. One of my friends from that period of my life was Bob Babbitt, the guy on the left in the above picture. I hadn't seen him in all of that 40 years, but thanks to Google, I found him last weekend .... the title for this could have been "This is April 15th, so this must be St. Paul???", but "Old friendship renewed" seemed better. Bob called back immediately, and along with his partner Gerry, fed us, showed us around town, and even helped tear down the booth at the end! Many thanks to Bob and Gerry. We'll stay in much closer touch this time!

Philadelphia

Here we are in Phildelphia! Tried a new booth arrangement with a sort of window/counter in the side wall..... corner booth. It was visually fun, and made for a great over the "window sill" conversation spot.
Here are Cheryl and Christina enjoying the new window.

Here is Don and our new friend Ed Bing Lee on the other side of the booth!