Spring Hath Sprung

Yeah, I know, it’s only the 13th of March and the calendar says spring is still a week away and March isn’t over and April in Indiana has not always been kind, sometimes bringing us some snow along with the rain, but when I was outside in the back yard with Cutter about lunch time, I looked at the sky,  listened to the birds in the trees (saw a red-headed woodpecker–hadn’t seen one for a long time), and walked around on the mostly brown grass with the warm breeze on my face and I decided it was time for a bit of yard work.

So I spent about two hours moving landscaping stones, expanding the area around one of the maple trees that is partly inhabited by a spreading ground cover. A few years ago, I began creating mulched areas around the two maples in the front yard and the one in the back yard.  The grass wasn’t doing all that well where the tree roots were just below the surface. Not only did the red-cedar mulch improve the looks of the yards, but all that covered square footage was square footage I didn’t ever have to mow again. Yeah, that was the plan all along!

After I had came back inside, Cutter, who had watched me work for a while, reminded me that we really should go for a walk. So, we did.

And now, as I peck away at the keys, I’m keeping a eye on the TV to my right and watching the guys play the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill, near Orlando.  All those acres of green grass look great. Hereabouts, I’m going to give the weather a few more days before I haul out the clubs and unleash myself to flail away at the little white ball. I mean, I’ve waited since the second of last November so a few more days won’t kill me.

So, no matter what weather the rest of March brings, or April, as far as I’m concerned spring is here. So what if we have a bit more inclement weather before warmth is here to stay. I’ll do what I’ve done all winter, stay inside and stay warm and busy.

Marching On

When I woke up this morning sunlight was streaming through the window blinds and I thought for a moment I was somewhere other than home in Indiana. Real sunshine, two mornings in a row. Of course, it’s still winter and by mid morning the sky had turned overcast, gray, the color of dirty aluminum.

Most all the recent snow is gone, but it’s still too cold for golf. At least for me. Fifty to fifty-five degrees is my minimum. You might see some out in coats and cold-weather accessories, but not me. It’s a plain case of preventing pulled muscles and other complications. Besides, advances in clothing notwithstanding, trying to swing a golf club while dressed in several layers of cotton, nylon, and polyester isn’t my idea of fun.

And speaking of golf, if you can’t tell by looking at the mini photo, I’ll point out that the fluffy thing I’m holding is a Kansas University Jayhawk head cover for my driver, which I’m maybe not-so-patiently waiting to get out and use. But I can wait. Just a bit of sunshine, a hint of blue sky, and a thermometer reading of the above-mentioned figures. That’s what I’m waiting for.

Meanwhile, I’ll stay busy working on several writing projects. And, come the end of March in Indiana, we’ll see about the old saw: “March, in like a lamb, out like a lion.”