Today I skipped the pool and Charlie and I went into the sunny day, to the river, and over the trestle bridge and through the meadow. The woodpeckers, wow. Quite active in the treetops today! I spent some time photographing random litter I found on the edges of the trail or the tracks or in the meadow. I was thinking about organic/inorganic. What’s biodegradable and what’s not. I didn’t have gloves or a trash bag, so I didn’t pick up the litter, but i plan to later this week. After a sunny day, I hear the soft pelt of rain out in the dark of night. The weather may well be soggy and grey tomorrow. But today, after poetry, where I shared my new poem from last night and got great feedback, I went to meet the special one and surprised him with a trip to Farm Pond. We were all alone with the box of pails, trucks, tractors and shovels to share. It was 60 degrees and sunny and the lake was calm and placid and lovely. In the quiet peace of the afternoon I felt the awareness for the first time: winter is gone. Now we have only months of outdoor weather to look forward to. We can plant. We can extend the day. We can get wet and not freeze. And yes, the special one was getting wet, feet to waist. And happy still. Moving wet sand. Making lakes and rivers and mud in the sand in the sun.