Spring!

I've definitely got the spring giddies these days.  Its just so glorious outside that its hard not to.  The last several days its been in the low 70s and beautifully sunny outside.  We've been playing at the park quite a bit, which the kids are thrilled about.   On Sunday we went for a drive.  We were going to go down to the Tehachapi Loop and try to see a train go down, but about 12 miles south of Terra Bella, we got a flat tire.  I'm afraid we had to slap on the dough-nut and turn around, but fortunately we were stranded right next to a healthy green field, which Keilana and Dylan had a great time playing in (hopefully whatever farmer this belongs to will be forgiving of us trampling through his alfalfa).  

I very much miss real winters, but I love the spring.  It is clear and sunny, the smogless days when we can see the glorious Sierra Nevada mountains are more frequent and all the early flowers are in bloom, not to mention all the orchards.  If the midwest is America's bread basket, then California is the fruit and nut bowl (no disparaging metaphoric fruit jokes, please).  All the the thousands and thousands of trees that produce all those delicious almonds, pecans,  peaches, etc are in full, spectacular bloom.  The grass is a vibrant, soft green and the skies are cloudless and pale blue, with bright sunshine lighting everything up.

I love that Easter falls in the spring.  The world coming alive again does indeed make the message of rebirth and power over death more moving and real and beautiful.  I've got vases full of daffodils on the island in my kitchen and on my dining room table and every time I see them I smile--I just can't help it, daffodils are such a happy flower.  I'm grateful that I grew up surrounded by beautiful flowers.  In another month, my dad's gardens will be magnificently overrun with daffodils and tulips--oh the tulips!  All kinds of colors.  And all the yellow daffodils smiling everywhere you look.

The munchkins and I went over to Amanda's today, and they had such a great time, eating their lunch out on the picnic table, driving the scooters around on the driveway and getting covered with good, clean dirt, as children should.  Then taking a break and enjoying a popsicle on the sidewalk.  There aren't many better ways to spend a day than feeling the green grass between your toes and the warm sunshine on your back.  Its a beautiful world.