Spring Ramblings

Today is one of those perfect spring days, sun shining, a light smell to the air, birds a-wing & our creek beginning to lower from its flooded level. The fields of the farms are still too wet to plow, but soon the sound of tractors will join the songs of the birds, a chorus singing of tomorrow's crops & a better year. Children are again riding their bikes & playing baseball or soccer. Hibernation is over. Once again we can come out of our caves, darkness brightening into spring's light, Old Man Winter's beaten for another year, or so we hope...

As a child, despite loving skating & swooping down snow-covered hills on my sled, warm weather was, & still is, my favourite. With us girls, the first tiny hint of spring would have us bringing our skipping ropes to play with during recess. The boys would be trying to uncover enough of the baseball field to have a game. All who had a bike brought them too. On a Saturday, we would ride as far as time & parents would allow, breathing in the fresh, crisp air, enjoying the freedom of the country roads, listening to the gurgling streams of riverlets running down to the river in our tiny village, knowing in a few weeks we would be swimming in that river. Now we are mostly scattered to the four winds, some have died, a few still live in our old village. I'm sure on a day like this, one or two of my old friends will remember those Saturdays, memories quickened by this spring day.

OUT-OF-DOORS
The kids are out-of-doors once more;
The heavy leggins that they wore,
The winter caps that covered ears
Are put away, and no more tears
Are shed because they cannot go
Until they're bundled up just so.
No more she wonders when they're gone
If they have put their rubbers on;
No longer are they hourly told
To guard themselves against a cold;
Bareheaded now they romp and run
Warmed only by the kindly sun.
She's put their heavy clothes away
And turned the children out to play,
And all the morning long they race
Like madcaps round about the place.
The robins on the fences sing
A gayer song of welcoming,
And seems as though they had a share
In all the fun they're having there.
The wrens and sparrows twitter, too,
A louder and a noisier crew,
As though it pleased them all to see
The youngsters out of doors and free.
Outdoors they scamper to their play
With merry din the livelong day,
And hungrily they jostle in
The favor of the maid to win;
Then, armed with cookies or with cake,
Their way into the yard they make,
And every feathered playmate comes
To gather up his share of crumbs.
The finest garden that I know
Is one where little children grow,
Where cheeks turn brown and eyes are bright,
And all is laughter and delight.
Oh, you may brag of gardens fine,
But let the children race in mine;
And let the roses, white and red,
Make gay the ground whereon they tread.
And who for bloom perfection seeks,
Should mark the color on their cheeks;
No music that the robin spouts
Is equal to their merry shouts;
There is no foliage to compare
With youngsters' sun-kissed, tousled hair:
Spring's greatest joy beyond a doubt
Is when it brings the children out.

Author: Edgar Guest

Enjoy today....
Starfire

VA Tech

Everyone's staggered & sorrowed about VA Tech massacre this week. My heart aches for the families' losses, the surviving students' horror, & the grief all are experiencing. I also ache for the killer's family who are going through an unbelievable time also, deep sorrow for the ones their son murdered, but unable to show grief for a child lost not only to death but to insanity, shouldering the burden & blaming themselves for not stopping their son from doing this terrible deed. I pray for all...

Sadly,
Starfire