from joe
We have had a beautiful, warm Spring this year. We are so happy the incessant winter rain has bowed out for the sun again. After being cooped up inside all winter, Gus is loving being outside. He spends a lot of time digging in his sandbox and running like a banshee down the sidewalk. Thankfully, he seems to have gotten over his reluctance to wear shorts (He used to plead, “Wanna close the pants!” when we tried to put him in shorts).
Our neighborhood has emerged from what we have come to recognize as the usual Pacific Northwest hibernation. All of the neighbors are out in their yards. The kids all seem strangely bigger. The trees and flowers have been a crazy kaleidoscope of colors. Impromptu barbeques abound.
The two boys (aged 8 and 5) from across the street have taken a liking to Gus and often sprint over to our house when they see us outside. They are constantly vying for his attention, showing him all of their cool big boy tricks (shooting hockey pucks into buckets, hitting wiffle balls off the roof, and climbing trees). At first Gus seemed cautious around them, but more and more he has warmed up to them and mimics their wild antics.
Heidi and I have been busy expanding our vegetable growing operation. We planted our last year’s beds early in the season, but in the last three weeks, we made three 4×8 foot beds, cleared away a huge tangly mess of ivy and St. John’s vines in our parking strip, shovelled in 5 cubic yards of dirt and 4 cubic yards of mulch, and are planning on finally putting in our tomato and bean starts tomorrow. All this work has taken its toll. We have been hobbling around our house, complaining of sore necks and calloused hands like a couple of senior citizens. So sad.
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