Sunshine

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy."  Lyrics from a John Denver song were in my head yesterday as we got the promised break in between storms.  Yes, the wind and rain are back today, but I'm trying to hold on to the memory of sunshine.  That, of course, brings up an old movie from the seventies, "Sunshine," a real tear-jerker starring Cliff DeYoung.  You never know where the rails will lead when you get on a train of thought.

Even though the sun was playing peekaboo in the clouds, Bessie and I were desperate to be outside so we took a walk down into the south field yesterday afternoon.  Steve's new tree has been well watered without any help from me.  One advantage of the new fence line (when it's finished) will be that I'll be able to see the goats in the extended pasture from the house.  The grinding rock in the middle of the field has always been a great place to sit and contemplate nature (or your navel, depending), and now it will be just at the edge of the fence line and will be a great place to sit and watch the goats.  They love to have company, walking along the fence and hoping for a handout.  They have Joel well trained.  They run to the corner whenever he's out in his vineyard, and he'll even stop his tractor to get off and throw over a handful of grape leaves or a bunch of weeds.

The damned wind has me going from window to window, checking for downed trees.  There is a row of tall pines in my section of woods, and they are dancing a graceful arboreal ballet.  It would be beautiful if it were not so worrisome as they bend and bow their heads.  The forsythia just outside on the deck must have blossoms stuck on with super glue as not one blows off as the branches shiver and shake in the wind.  The flowering plums and peaches are not so lucky, and the ground underneath is littered with pink and white petals.  If Nature's intent is procreation, her timing is really off in March.