Perfect Day

So today was just about as perfect as a day can get: 70-something, light breeze, sunny. I took a two-hour walk around a couple of the neighborhoods, marveling at the color in some of the gardens. Tulips, daffodils, hyacynth, hostas, crab apples, bleeding hearts, magnolias, rhododendrons, cherry blossoms... (I know, amazing that I know these, right?) The weather is about 3-4 weeks ahead of what it was this time of year last year. There are buds and real leaves on everything, whereas last year, they were just sticks that were thinking about coming out.

We have a cute chickadee couple in our backyard. They live in the gourd, and pointedly stare at us any time we get a little too close. The male is good to communicate with his mate about the evil brown birds that try to invade and chirps crisply before zipping off after the enemy into another tree.

My porch in the backyard is now a sanctuary, complete with wicker, a bistro set, end tables, palms and a rug. Dandelions happily spring up in my grass, reminding me that they are the sole reason that my lawn is green, and smile at me as they contrast against the wild violets that poke up through the blades. The sound of a hundred birds is so loud at times that our yard sounds more like an aviary than a suburban neighborhood. Spiders have set up shop in little nooks and crannies, things with WAY too many legs drop by for an occasional visit, and ants wander freely through my bathroom, trying to find the entrance that I caulked.

Most of our windows are open as long as we're home, and the cats argue over who gets to sit in the sunniest sill. Callie will lay in one sill in the morning until her fur is hot to the touch, and grumps when the sun has the audacity to continue its journey overhead. Zoe goes cross-eyed each evening when the sun hits the floating dust particles in the air, and she attempts to catch a few.

I painted the picnic table the other evening. It was around five o'clock, and I noticed the "traffic" on the bike path seemed heavy, so I decided to count the people as they went by. In just half an hour, over 150 walked, ran, rode or strolled by. Some called out greetings, others whizzed by on bikes while dressed in suits. Duchesa happily trotted along the back fence, barking out "Hello" to select individuals.

Yes, today was such a perfect day that I had to try what so many have told me is an absolute must: I dried the bedsheets on the line, in the sunshine, flapping gently in the light breeze. No one bothered to remind me to wipe off the line first. Sigh.