Garden and weather log: Nice showers this morning and turned off in the 70s, maybe 80. At 5:19 pm the thermometer says 66. A thunderstorm has just moved through to the south with big black clouds and distant thunder. I would imagine folks are getting rain in Manton.

Of course, I worked, so I haven't been in the garden. The old-fashioned purple lilac bushes have a few flowers open. The crab apple tree in the front is ready to flower. I think I saved the foliage because I got rid of a bunch of tent worms eating the leaves. (I use dish soap on their webs) The cherry trees on the way to TC are in bloom and I see some flowers on our pear trees.

With this heat, the poplar and maple trees have their leaves. I always think what a miracle it is that trees can go from no leaves to leaves overnight. Ready to start the new cycle. With all the trees, it is no wonder one of my favorite colors is green.

Gauging the way the cherry blossoms are out this week, I'm afraid they won't be available if they are to be part of the B and S wedding next year. I know that won't be the end of the wedding world. Just an observation.

Garden and weather log: Monday was cool in the morning and then it warmed up to the 70s by late afternoon. Of course, my garden work time was in the morning and I went to town to visit my mom by afternoon. I cleaned most of the south garden next to the house. The iris are starting to flower. The variegated phlox are really healthy, and the rabbit ravaged rosebush is putting out shoots. I'm excited to see how the allium comes out. Allium is one of my favorite all time spring flowers. By the weekend, I'm sure it will have warmed up and the garden shops will have flats of petunias and marigolds in. I want to get the flowers for my window boxes.

Another sure sign of spring: we saw the first oriole. And of course, the cement block fell through the ice on Joe's Pond in Vermont on May 1. They have the block attached to a cord and a clock to know the exact time. The annual contest is a big deal event that signals the end of winter. For more details of weather trivia:http://www.scenesofvermont.com/joespond.htm

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a mystery about a young antiquarian bookseller and a mysterious author. When I first started reading the book, I didn't realize that it was a mystery. I thought it was a book about twins. And because it was so bizarre in parts, I almost put it down. At times, it gave me the creeps.

All of the mystery genre elements were present. It definitely had a spooky setting, in England with old dilapidated mansions. The characters were eccentric (to say the least), with love, hate, death, jealousy, and yes, twins. There were many twists and turns as the young bookseller writes the life story of the famous author and tries to find the real truth. There even were a few red-herrings.

What I didn't like is the way it seemed so...contrived: authors writing about authors, clues being within books, I don't know, if you didn't have a heap of literary references in your knowledge base, the clues and ideas would go right past you. I don't like horror stories and this had it's share of horror. Remember, I thought the book was about twins. I guess you'll have to find out for yourself.:)

Garden and weather log: Overcast, in the mid 60s, and windy. I worked in the front garden pulling out grass. It just wasn't that pleasant out for gardening. Clymatis vines are getting leaves and shoots are popping up. Amazing since FB got the plants from California. I'm surprised that they made it through the winter. One iris in the South garden is ready to bloom. The allium flower head is up about 2'. No other flowers yet. Saw a large bald eagle two days in a row. Sat. night we saw the Northern Lights streaking overhead. Hopefully, it will warm up.

Went to the big Ann Arbor to see the Loreena McKennitt concert downtown at the Michigan Theater. It's one of those experiences I have been looking forward to since we discovered Loreena about 10 years ago while on vacation in Canada, which is her home. BF and I really enjoy her Celtic-World music, so of course, when she was booked at the Michigan, we were on the fast track to get our tickets, thanks to our FDIL.

I enjoyed the concert, light show, and the whole ambiance of the Michigan Theater. However, as NB pointed out, much of the music sounded the same. If I hadn't known the words to the songs, I might not have understood a thing, but it didn't matter to me since I was there for whatever came along. The house was crowded with her fans, and I don't think any of the above items mattered. Ms. McKennitt has been away from the touring and recording scene for about ten years since the death of her fiance in a boating accident. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/listenwatch/0,,466244,00.html

We also enjoyed eating at an Indian Restaurant, poking through Dawn Treader Book Store, watching an old version of The Adventures of Robin Hood, and shopping in the mall. But, the most fun was just hanging out with AS,NB, and TD. A good time was had by all.:)

Garden and weather log: Sunny and in the upper 60s. Grass needs mowing. Everything looks unkept since we have been gone. I hate to look at the front garden. The blossoms are coming out on the apple blossoms I brought into the house a week ago.

Garden and weather log: Another gray, rainy day. Temps in the 50's. Too warm for fleece, but not warm enough for short sleeves. Everything is still on hold.

The front garden, which has not been cleaned yet, is coming on strong. The grass is too. Must get out there.

I've noticed lawns with naturalized daffodils and crocuses. They sure look pretty. I wonder how it is when the flowers have faded and you are waiting for the leaves to dry down before you cut them. Maybe you let the lawn grow up and then cut the whole thing. I don't know, but I'd like to try it.

Garden and weather log: Gray, rainy, and in the 50s. Grass is getting green and tall, but everything else is waiting for the temperatures to warm up. Typical up north weather. These are nice quiet rains, so it is rather peaceful.

When the sun gets out, it will be time to hunt for morel mushrooms. These mushrooms are tasty morsels found around our swamps and woods. Once we found a big patch near a fallen poplar tree. Folks seek them and fix gourmet meals with them. We even have a local Morel Mushroom Festival. I am not a fan since I usually find a quantity of bugs in them even after I soak them in salt water. It does get people outside. I enjoy the hunt, but give my mushrooms away.

Garden and weather log: Monday the weather cooled off and we had a nice rain. The grass really shot up and so did the flowers. Today was in the 50s and was gray toward evening. Looks like it might rain again. Hot, cold, hot, cold. Definitely Michigan weather.

I found another sure sign of spring- the gopher that lives under our deck was out running around and antagonizing the dog.

The poplar trees in the backyard have their wormy looking things before the leaves come out. They are making a big mess on the patio-I just sweep it off.

No new flowers, but the wild columbine is growing fast. I brought some apple branches in the house to see how long it takes to force the flowers. The branches are quite lovely even without flowers or leaves.

Garden and weather log: 86 and breezy. Just haze around the horizon. Yard looks really nice since BF worked on the main garden and I sweep the deck and the brick patio. Raked next to the house and under the river birch and the poplar next to the water outlet. BF turned the water on and picked up the leaves and grass with the lawnmower sweeper. What a helpful purchase (at the time I was skeptical)! So, we are moving along.

We took the wire off the roses and shrubs. Not much varmit (rabbit) damage on the covered plants, but the lilacs off the patio are ruined and so are the three new shrubs I planted last spring. I won't be planting any new shrubs unless they are protected by wire next winter. All in all, we had far less damage this year and the plants look very healthy.

The goal is to make the garden look really nice without buying a lot of new plants. Of course, with that said, I know very well that I will see a plant I have always wanted and I will bring it

One happy surprise is that the blue poppy CT brought me from Bainbridge Island came up looking strong. I hope it blossoms.

Garden Log: With temps in the upper 60's today, the garden plants are up and coming through the leaves. The miniature daffodils are in bloom, the last of the crocus are finishing ( earlier flowers got snowed on), and grape hyacinths are just forming their flower. Leaves are popping out on the lilac and honeysuckle bushes. Grass is really green. We will be ouside all Sat. doing yard work.

I have to post the weather and the state of the gardens so I can make some predictions for this time next year. You know, the big wedding.

I'm always looking for a tasty and inexpensive wine and I have found one. Alice White Lexia 2005 is the product of South Eastern Australia. The wine is sweet, but not too sweet, and fruity. It went well with meatloaf and baked potatoes. I tried it blackberry pie and it was good, but not excellent. I thinks it would be yummy with chocolate.

The wine is named after Alice White who is an adventurous, fictional, English woman who explored the Australian Outback in the 1800s. The bottle label has an excerpt from Adventures in a New Land. This is an interesting idea for selling wine. The wine cost about $7.00 and I got it at the Fast Break gas station.

At one time our family was really into fine wines, blue bottles, estate wines and all that. We had wine tasting parties here at our house. I learned that a good wine is what you like. If it costs $4 great. So, here is a wine that I have easy access to and it fits my budget. I chilled the bottle for about twenty minutes before serving. I think it is a winner. And cute popup!

I love good fantasy and Mercedes Lackey has been serving it up. I just finished reading Fortune's Fool and One Good Knight which are part of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

I like these books because they are based on traditional fairy tales and mythology. Both of these books have kings, queens, princes, and princesses. They also have dragons, witches, godmothers, wizards, sirens, mermaids, brownies, and unicorns. The stories contain creatures that I've rarely heard of so I might have to get out a mythology reference book. It all depends on the setting as to the creatures that inhabit it. Sea King's realm involves sea creatures. Land kingdoms involve birds and beasts. You know- Baba Yaga, Sergei the Humpback Horse.

And because they are based on traditional tales and magic, they come with traditional plots like the evil stepmother and the dragons who are given virgins for supper (supposedly). As in any good story, there are many twists and turns and some modern ideas in the events that move the story along. There is the common use of three wishes, three tasks, three obstacles. Lackey is uncommon in the use of women as clever, beautiful, leaders, and main characters who have an unusual gift. Not to say that the evil woman is left out. No, she is just as evil as her male counterpart.

Lackey is right in step with Tolkien and J.R. Rowlings in bringing back the old evils of Greece, Europe, Russia, and Japan. Fortune's Fool was a great set up for the next book in the series. It involves the seventh son of a king of the land and the Sea King's seventh daughter. What a way to go? This is the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

Back to soup. I was already to get the grill going last weekend when the weather was so nice, but with the blizzard weather, it's soup for supper.

I made a big kettle of cream of cauliflower soup from a recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook. It was really easy except I didn't have thick cream so I used milk and my half and half. You have to improvise when the driveway is plugged and you haven't been to town in two days. So soup and cheesy biscuits. Pretty tasty and it keep the kitchen warm all day.

The grill will have to wait for better weather.

Spring snow. Just as predicted, it's too early for spring. We have blizzard warnings up until 8 am tomorrow, with winds gusting up to 45 mph. So far, there isn't the snow that they predicted 10-12 in., but that could still come by tomorrow. The poor frogs and robins!

My aunt and uncle just returned from Florida and probably brought this storm just like they did last year. Burrr- I hope they didn't put away their long underwear.

But, I'm cozy-listening to CATS, cleaned the bathroom, made the bed, tried on some spring clothes ( I actually fit into them), and have spagetti sauce in the works.

So much for being on Spring Break. I envy the folks who made a mad dash to warmer climes, but I bet they will hate coming back. Darn Spring, you do this every year!!!

Yes, FROGS! We heard the peeper chorus last night. The grass is greening up and the temps are holding in the 50s. How long will this last? We, in the northern climes, are very skeptical.

Village men carrying lumber for their school when roads were blocked with landslides.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is an amazing account of how one person can make a difference in the world. Greg, a mountaineer, was saved by a Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after he failed to reach the summit of K2. He promised to return and build a school for the children. This is the story of his struggles to build fifty-five schools in the area. The title says it all- One Man's Mission to promote Peace... One School at a Time.

Greg should win a Nobel Peace Prize. His efforts are so much more productive than fighting terrorists by going to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Reading the book made me more aware of the fact that ordinary people pay the price of arm chair warriors.

I came across these remarks from Brigadier General Bashir Baz, a close confidant of Musharraf, who helped Greg fly into the many hard to reach villages.

Bashir is watching CNN from Baghdad showing bombed buildings and wailing Iraqi women. He says," Your President Bush has done a wonderful job of uniting one billion Muslims against America for the next two hundred years." Mortenson says, "Osama had something to do with it, too." Bashir roars," Osama, bah! Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America, Osama is in every home. As a military man, I know you can never fight and win against someone who can shoot at you once and then run off and hide while you have to remain eternally on guard. You have to attack the source of your enemy's strength. In America's case, that's not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. The only way to defeat it is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever."

Chew on those ideas for a while. That's what stands out in this book!

More signs of Spring!!

The Red-Winged Blackbirds are back. So are the Cowbirds and Grackles. And we saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes at the pond on Schichtel Rd. Pussy Willows are blooming. Still no frogs or snakes.

I think it is too early for all of this. The birds have their own systems, so who am I to tell what is what.

China Fair is usually one of my favorite places to get Chinese food. But, today the meal was terrriibbllee!

We had the lunch buffet. The fried rice was cold, the sweet sour chicken's coating was very greasy, the honey coated shrimp seemed like it was missing the shrimp, and the hot water had been shut off on the tea machine, so they couldn't even serve tea. Everything seemed greasy and old. Besides, a slight air of grease hung over the whole place.

Maybe they were having a bad day, but I don't need poor food. I won't be heading their again for some time. Boo, China Fair.

The Tender Bar A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer is a tender story. Moehringer relates how he craved his father and found replacements at Dickens, the bar, where his Uncle Charlie was a bartender. He explains the influence the men, who frequented the bar, had on his life. The bar itself takes on life. It is a joyful haven and a den of failure, grief, and vice. The bar and the men are his nannies.

The book sometimes seems redundant because it is about the same people and the same place. It is a giant character sketch as he tries to understand each of the men and sees them change as he changes. It is also about his New York City neighborhood after 911.

The story is thoughtful, sad, searching, and emotional. The basic idea is that J.R. is trying to find and understand his dad who left him when he was a baby, trying to take care of his mother and succeed in her eyes, and trying to find himself through all of the muddle.

TA DAAA! Announcing. The finished bedroom. Mauve walls and ceiling. White wanescotting and woodwork and gray nubby carpeting. Big Fred did a great job and the results are beautiful. Very restful. The pictures don't do the room justice.

It's Spring! It's started. I saw my first robin this morning. It was sitting in the blue spruce tree directly out the window from my desk. A second sure sign of spring is that the male mourning doves are constantly pestering the females, like they won't leave them alone. Bunches of skunks are road kill, so they are coming out of hibernation.

No frogs gurping in the swamp across the road. No pussy willows or forsythia. They're next.

But, it won't be true spring until I see the first snake in my basement or under my kitchen table. Snakes come out when the ground has warmed up enough for their cold-blooded body. Believe me, I don't let them stay in the house if I can help it. I have a snake stick that NB rigged up for me and I catch them and take them across the highway. Anyway, that's another story.

I can't wait-yea, Spring! :)