Lovely flower, indeed

We (really Johnnie) were taking down the shades in the family room in preparation Annie the Magnificent Painter's visit tomorrow. Our house renovation has progressed to a point that we're essentially living entirely in the kitchen, except for sleeping. We're sleeping in the guest room because of the bathroom remodeling (gutting, new dry wall, tile, TWO sinks!). New carpet was installed in the family room and living room (adjacent and connected to each other) this past week but we didn't put furniture back because of Annie's impending transformation with paint this coming week.

Anyway, I was looking out the window into the ravine behind our house. What's that purple flower in the creek? Got out binoculars. Hmmmm. Still looks like a big purple flower. No others anywhere nearby ~ just lots of skunk cabbages carpeting the floor of the ravine.

Me: wanna take a walk?
Johnnie: eh, maybe in a few minutes
Me: will you go then or will I just wait and then you won't really go with me
Johnnie: um, maybe in a few minutes (he was playing Canfield solitaire on the computer)
Me: OK.

Few minutes pass while we both play Canfield. Tired of this, I got up.
Me: I'm going for a walk.
Me, now downstairs: are you coming or should I go alone?
Johnnie: I'm almost coming.
Me: well, I'm going now. See ya.
Johnnie: OK, here I come.

Wisely I put on old tennis shoes and grabbed the camera to document the beautiful purple flower and anything else we found of interest. We proceeded down the bank to the floor of the ravine ~ it's about 50 feet from our yard to the bottom. Balancing on decaying logs and walking in between the skunk cabbages and awakening ferns we made it to the creek.

Johnnie: It's a bucket.
Me: Oh, man. I was really hoping for a purple flower. Something exotic.
Me: Could you hold the camera?
Johnnie: Are you going in?
Me: Yeah, if nothing else, it shouldn't be left in the creek.

Here I am, approaching the flower and as an added bonus, a green snow boogie too. (Who even knew that snow had boogies and that they were green!)


Poking the fallen branches and leaves to see if there's anywhere I can stand without sinking into the water. Not much but I found a couple places for my feet. Have I mentioned that I'm not all that coordinated and steady on my feet in situations like this? No?


Uh oh, kersplash! The water's really cold and the bottom is squishy. Totally overshot the flower and landed on the opposite bank. It was really funny to both of us.


Retrieving the bucket and snow boogie.


Turns out the bucket has a crack in it so it won't be a good summer water bucket outside for the dogs. Ah well, still better in the trash than in the creek.


Squish back up the bank and into the garage to remove my soaked shoes and socks. Somehow I never got my clothes wet. More good luck than good planning, that.

Momentous events

Our remodeling efforts continue and eventually there will be pictures to chronicle the entire event. The shower base gets set in place tonight and that's a great step forward. Then we can work on walls and floor to begin pulling everything together. Our timeframe is really tight and poor Johnnie looked stunned when I mentioned earlier this week that the carpets would begin going down next Wednesday. I think he thought he had another full week before all that. In one way or another, we'll be ready.

The momentous events today include my piano, skunk cabbages (or at least that's what I call them) and wood violets.

My parents and grandmother bought the piano for me when I was eight years old, in 1958. It cost them $800 and I know at the time that it was a big financial stretch for them. I have hauled that thing to 10 different houses or apartments in the ensuing 51 years. I took lessons for about six years and then our daughter Holly took lessons for a while too. Erin tried lessons for a while but never enjoyed it and eventually went to the baritone horn instead. The piano has languished in this house for 15 years with occasional playing by me (occasional = once every couple years) or when Holly is home for Christmas and we prevail upon her to play just a little. Erin and Mike don't want it and don't have room for it. Holly and Mike are in San Francisco and it would cost a small fortune to get it out to them and, I believe, they really don't want it either. Neither does anyone else in the extended family. So we sold it.

A nice grandma and grandpa bought it for their grandson who is six and is just learning to play the piano. They're thrilled, the little boy Joseph is excited and we're relieved. Yes, it's sad that it's gone from our lives but someone else will enjoy it and learn all the magical things that music brings to a person's life. So another chapter is closed for us and more room is now available in the living room. Yeay.

It's a beautiful sunny, 55 degree day here and I went out to snap spring pictures. We live on the edge of a creek that has carved a deep ravine behind our house. I watch the ravine all year but especially love it in the spring when the plants on the ravine floor awaken and sprout all over again. The area is rarely inhabited by people but we see lots of wild turkeys and deer all year long. The shot here is of the ravine and shows the skunk cabbages (or whatever they are, maybe someone can set me straight on their correct name) just beginning to green up. Such promise and such a beautiful springy green color!

In some yards there are blankets of wood violets under trees. They're so dainty and so potent, despite their tiny size, especially in mass quantities. Since we fight with our wood violets except in the wild areas, we don't have many in the grass. But I love to see them poke their violet flowers out and let us know that more springtime is on the way. Yet another promise that new life and a new season of warmth approaches. I hope it is springtime wherever you are and that you are feeling the budding of the new season within yourself.