Our beautiful spring weather was, sadly, ephemeral — it has been replaced by overcast skies and the promise of wind and rain. But I’ll be remembering the sunshine, holding a place for its return — here’s the beginning of sunrise a few days ago. I’ve started taking my morning cuppa down by the water, contemplating the day.
Sitting out there the other day with the water so calm and seductive, I heard the kayak calling my name. I haven’t paddled for two years now, first because I was nervous about my back after having it go into spasm and then because I had a rotator cuff injury that took forever to heal. I didn’t want to go out on my own the first time back, so I waited for the weekend and Pater’s return. This morning, the promised showers not having materialized and some sun managing to break through the cloud, I convinced Pater to give up his morning lie-in (he can always nap later when it inevitably does start raining), and we circled ’round the island (about an hour’s very leisurely paddle) It felt wonderful to be out on the water again, and I’m not detecting any unduly sore joints or muscles, so I think I’m safe to extend the trip next time — we love to paddle into town on a weekend morning for a few groceries, the papers, then stop in for a coffee before paddling back.
As I say, I was very determined to capture as much sunshine as possible last week. Here I’ve caught it being worshipped by some obvious fans — if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, look how sincere these species tulips are in their flattery of sunshine:
I’m trying to remember somethingImogen said last week about purple and yellow together — here’s a convincing garden example — the daphne mezereum, a generally homely stick-ish shrub, has several weeks of glory right now with its intensely fragrant compact blooms.
Random bits:
A flash of motion out the window caught my attention the other morning, 6:30-ish, and I looked to see dark shapes arcing over the water. Three porpoises moved steadily southward, tracing the route that Pater and I followed this morning in our kayaks. Over the years here I’ve seen mink, otters (three were playing in the bay a few mornings ago), seals, sea lions, and even orcas, either in, or just off, our little bay, but I’ve never seen porpoises before — I tried to think which neighbour I could call to alert, but the arcs were moving out of sight too quickly, and waking someone at 6:30 to tell someone they could have seen porpoises if only they’d been awake earlier — not so neighbourly. I contented myself with calling Pater in our Vanc’r apartment, where I knew he’d already be getting ready to leave for work. He was gracious enough to be excited on my behalf.
Had the prep work done for my crown yesterday — ninety minutes of getting bashed around since the tooth in question bumps against an upper wisdom tooth (of course, of the 90 minutes, only 15-20 were especially vigorous. I’m exaggerating about the rest which were pre-freezing, waiting for freezing to take, doing molds and waiting for those to set, etc., etc.). I’m so grateful for a dentist I really trust (and like, as well). I’m popping ibuprofen today but relieved we seem to have got that tooth taken care of without any root canal.
I recently told a friend that we’re hitting our “dental work years.” Lots of old stuff being replaced with crowns and inlays, but like you I have a dentist I trust and who does fabulous work, so the only really unpleasant part is the expense. Ouch.
I would have been so excited to see the porpoises too! Your kayak trip sounds lovely; your island must be quite small! We’re back to cool-ish and cloudy weather here too, and hopefully we’ll squeeze some rain out of those clouds. It’s been a seriously dry few years. Gorgeous pics as always. I so envy your morning cup enjoyed at water’s edge!
Back ache??? I feel ya honey!!
Those are beautiful flowers you snapped shots of. I’m so glad that you enjoyed you day out in God’s beautiful glorious sunshine.
Hope you and your family have a blessed Easter and……
Steady On
Reggie Girl
what beautiful photos!
The thing I hate about getting older is the receding gums! I now get food caught in my teeth way more often!
Pseu: I feel as if I've been in my dental work years all my life! Pater, lucky man, has only ever had one cavity, and he was over 40 before he had that. Between our four kids, now 23 to 32, there are less than 6 cavities. I more than make up for all of them, although I floss and brush like a trooper. Most of the required work is upkeep and replacement of old fillings rather than new cavities, but still . . . Luckily, we're a dual-dental-plan couple, so at least the work isn't financially stressful.
I'll wish you some rain — we could easily spare you some!
MMM&R: Thanks. Hope you enjoy your Easter weekend as well.
Imogen: Isn't that the worst! I don't particularly notice receding gums, but I really dislike food stuck between in my teeth — altho' it does have the advantage of ensuring regular flossing 😉
Oh I am so glad you got out on the water in that glorious morning air. And porpoises too this week!
The garden is looking nice too, I think you are ahead of us, as mine aren’t quite so far along although the earliest of the daffodils are up. It seems I do have quite a bit of scilla siberica coming up after all, thank goodness. Unfortunately it is in an area that needs to be completely dug up, but I shall try to save it and encourage it to spread. I won’t get to it this year anyway.
It is a very cool spring here with most nights still in the 20’s and my local nursery which usually opens in mid April is not opening for another two weeks. And I had to tell you I bought two hellebores at the other garden center the other day to put in the shady bed by the front door. I want so much more, but I am sticking by my plan to not buy anything for which I don’t already have the ground prepared for planting.
Mardel: I would think we should be at least a week or two ahead of you (daffs have been blooming here for at least two weeks now) — most nights have been at least several degrees above freezing although it looks as if we’ll dip back into frost later next week (and we’re all mindful of the April 20th snowfall that wrecked so many plants last spring).
Oh, you’ll love your hellebores, I know! I think your plan to prepare ground before buying is a very admirable one. I’ve been guilty more than once of letting a plant languish through drought and frost and drought again in an inadequate pot because I’d bought without preparation. Not quite like yarn stash, is it?!
re dental work: nitrous oxide (along with all the other measures) has made the difference between abject terror and misery and me enduring a crown job, even thinking my dentist was kinda cute. Your evocations of the natural world at your doorstep are awesome in the original sense of the word.
Duchesse: your comment made me chuckle and reminded me of my son, then 17 or so, coming out of the dentist’s office after his wisdom teeth had been removed. His mouth full of gauze, he was nonetheless quite happy thanks to a pre-extraction gift of Ativan and more-than-adequate anaesthetic throughout. As I guided him to the car, he kept insisting that I go back in to “thank Rob,” because, as he kept lisping through the gauze “That wath awethome, mom, that wath really awethome”!
A different invocation of that word, awesome, than yours, and I thank you for the compliment (and the chuckle!)