Spring Break Rain

The local weatherman was apologizing to the "kiddies" for the wet spring break. I was shouting to the television, "Why, back when I was young, we had a 1/4 inch of ice in a late winter storm once...they've nothing to whine about." (My grandmother used to do just that, argue aloud with the 'picture set' all the time. She also did not watch television, she would 'look' at TV now and then...but if I follow this one out, I'll be on another rant about television, so %&%$#@)

In all truth, spring rain is rejuvenating to me (and plant life). I grew up in the desert southwest of Kansas, and even after 25 years in this climate, I find it novel that it actually rains now and then. Sometimes I marvel at just how very much it can rain around here. Tuesday we had rain and showers all day, over an inch of rain! Today, it's supposed to fall again after noon.

I most enjoy this all O U T S I D E where I'm wandering around my property finding everything in bloom. In ways I feel like a child first discovering things, and in ways I am. (Where I'm from, there were no crocus, few fruit trees, etc...) It's especially fun, for as I'm learning, I'm also teaching my boys. I think, like a naturalist, I should start a hard copy, offline, illustrated study of 'things growing here.'

I keep looking things up on the Internet and in my gardening books, but I intend to beg the extension agent to visit soon. Maybe the agent will be like Mr. Kimball, of Green Acres...Kimball is the one on the far left, a humble and good natured fellow who couldn't identify anything!

I also have a cadre of acquaintances who know more about the outdoors than I do. Maybe I'll have them out all at once, sort of a field day, to see what mother nature's cookin' out here. I do know that I don't want to spray everything, if I can help it...for one, it just seems wrong, and for another, I've a well here I don't want to contaminate.

We'll see what may come of it all. Today it's to be dry enough I can get out there again, so I'm signing off.