Renew!

Apologies for delayed postings here. Catching up after catching cold (again), argh.

The energy all around astounds me. The landscape seeming so dormant for long, cold months belies what is happening the whole time; the readying of uncountable springtime appearances. The big unlock message has truly arrived--the bursting is happening.

Renewals in no particular order...

Sandy's Missouri iris blooming began ahead of Pennsylvania"s.

These are everywhere.

Marge's flower plantings and cherry tree are very, very happy in front of our home.

Wendy added some footage of the now two-week-old baby goats...





There is plenty more about these charmers and their forebears on Wendy's website: Casa de la Tortuga

Last Saturday, Aidan played his cello for his teacher's student recital she held at the Philadelphia Union League.

The mom and dad who keep the ball rolling.

Wonder who that grandma is who stepped into the picture.

Post-performance rest stop while John fetched the car from parking.

Such a fancy place let a light bulb burn out!

And Aidan won the 200-yard dash at this week's track meet. He's trying hard for a school record on the broad jump. Quite a week in a young man's life. Wendy supplied the video she made of the event.

This morning, Marge planted some more out by her fish pond. The frog is still in the pond and Marge added tadpoles.

 Over in Oregon, Kelly's chickens are supplying eggs. She posted a group photo of her hens...

The girls. Clockwise:
Maureen O'Hara
Tina Fey
Chelsea Handler
Marge Simpson

May you have many Easters of renewal.

Thanksgiving Isn't Just in the Fall

A week ago yesterday, last Tuesday to be exact, Sandy and I got on the train and went to Center City...

Sandy at Pennbrook SEPTA Station.

Another waiting passenger helped with the "selfie".

Taking the train still is an adventure for me and this time it was a first for Sandy. She wasn't born yet when the family moved from St.Louis to Houston and back during the high tide of passenger railroad travel. SEPTA is a commuter train and definitely neither driven by steam nor coal nor diesel as during the mid-40s. SEPTA has no amenities whatsoever. Yet, it is astonishing to me that we have this transportation available. Oh, would that we could travel on trains as often and as distant as we did then! One of my great pleasures in Europe during brief visits there.

But back to our visit in Philly. We took in the Art Museum...

...and, a tremendous watercolor show...plus we took in some Van Gogh and Monet...

...Sandy checking on the view Rocky Balboa had.

Reading Terminal Market was our lunch choice. Noisy, busy, myriad booths, myriad choices. It sustained us well for the afternoon of touring. The next most important, "The bell!" as Sandy told the cab driver...

Like all visiting, we got pictures to show we'd been by Freedom's Bell.

And all us tourists helped each other with group pictures.

The sun was getting low and the hours for Independence Hall were over. So we headed back.

Two days later our plan was to take Amtrak to Washington, D.C., not knowing that is where my good friends Paula and Carl from Tucson were visiting his mother. Paula sent along drawings she made while there inspired by springtime...

Thursday, we stopped off at the farm to see how Wendy's midwifery was faring after doe Jasmine struggled with her labor the day before having caught pneumonia. (She is fine now.) We forgot Washington...

Wendy, Jasmine, and "P". Jasmin had just birthed "O" and "P".

Ella is the one on the floor still resting while Jasmine helps clean up just birthed "Q".

Sandy is well-acquainted with barns having been around more than one during her lifetime. But baby goat midwifery was a new wrinkle watching Ella birth (oof!) a really big boy--Wendy helping pull, and the actions she took. Then, Wendy went out to fetch something from the house and suddenly another baby slid out. Sandy grabbed that towel and wiped away placental tissue becoming a goat midwife in seconds.

Ella with "Q" and "R".

In no particular order and from different iPhones (I lost track) are more baby goat appreciation photos and video...







Both mamas cleaned all the babies.

O.

P.

Brother and sister--Q and R.

R. "Hello World." There is no doubt in anyone's mind, R will stand for "Rule". This little goat was up and at 'em in no time at all after her surprise landing. She will, no doubt, be a lead goat.

Five days later--Aidan with R--now Rose of Sharon.

Preceding "O"-"R" were "A"- "N", the first in the sequences born in Tucson, the rest in Pennsylvania up until last Thursday when "O"-"R" were added to the alphabet and the farm. There was much texting and the family decided on:

Jasmine's--
O for Ophelia
P for Pascal
Ella's--
Q for Quincy
R for Rose of Sharon

I voted for Rosasharn who is a character in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Vernacular for Rose of Sharon Wendy says.

Shoutout to Trivia: All Wendy's goat births have been on Thursdays.

In the next stall...

My friends, the chickens came in and were shushed away.

In the next room...

Toby warming toes in the sun.

In Albuquerque, Valerie sent along her pup Izzy's endeavors to unearth the underground bubbler...

Izzy is now 4-5 months old.

Izzy went to daycare...

Next was Easter to celebrate...

At the church service that Marge and I went to an Army dog in training joined the circle for the Eucharist.

Here at Q'town, Marge set a beautiful table and included Jonquils from her garden...

We all added dishes to the ham that led the way in the meal. Between eating and dessert, Aidan gave a mini concert...

In the back yard...

All too quickly, Sandy is on her way back to Missouri and her loved ones. Thank you, for driving to Pennsylvania for a visit. Safe trip home!

First, there was sunshine

Then, there was grass

Next, there were chickens

Then came the eggs

Or vice versa

Then, Wendy gave me a dozen eggs

And I made a sandwich

Thank you, Wendy,

Thank you, Creator...
for all, for all, for all.

Aidan's Friday track meet was in frigid, rainy wind. What a challenge. Saturday cleared enough for him to enjoy Franconia Park with his soccer buddies. A 2017 first. Sandy and I picked him up and proceeded to the farm where John, Aidan, and Neighbor Joe pulled the family truck out of the mud with Joe's tractor. Aidan had mud halfway up his pants legs from running around in the park. Now the thermometer is spiking in the other direction giving the East Coast another taste of Spring.

While Wendy and John went out Aidan, Sandy and I had supper then streamed Sing Street. I don't have Cousin Jackie's discerning movie critiques or rating system but I'll offer that we really liked this one. I wonder where it landed or will land on her ratings. We also had super snacks that came close to a gorge fest. Fun while it lasted.

Aidan's goat chores attire late Saturday afternoon.

Wendy posted Sebastian, Fancy, and Toby staying warm together on the back porch.

Wendy is pondering if mass hysteria is next since dogs and cats are living together. 

Gloriously, Saturday morning the sun was out. The crystals from Sandy that I had hung during the cloudy week dispersed rainbows all over the bedroom.

The new chimes from Sandy are adding to the charm of Pennsylvania flowers and sunshine.

Marge cleared the leaf net dome from over the still winterized pond. Then, scooped out the already blooming algae.

And a quiet afternoon lent itself to some outdoor sketching.