At last!

Susan Branch's long awaited sequel to her prequel!

Martha's Vineyard

Isle of Dreams

I preordered one months ago for my mom and one for myself, 

and they arrived today - 

on my birthday,

and in time for my mom's 90th birthday

on April 22nd.

Shall I make her wait?

Nah. That would just be mean.

Spring!

Ah, relief!

It's so good to see color in the landscape.

Some of the crocus bulbs I planted last October.

 Of the 10 snowdrop bulbs I planted last fall,

4 came up, 2 bloomed.

Maybe next year?

 Rhubarb!

And just emerging: Virginia Bluebells

Hanging out

My mother asked this morning:

"Are you going to hang out?"

Yes. Yes I am.

Blustery day

Howling winds today.

Out for a walk (and missing Oscar).

Downed branches.

 A partially downed tree - lucky it missed that house. 

I posted the picture below on FB when I got back from my walk

and a friend commented,

"And look at all the Phragmites seeds getting disbursed. Oh Ginnie!"

What?? What's a Phragmite?

I had to look it up. Might be invasive.

I see this tall, shaggy-headed grass a lot along low spots on highways.

I assumed it was something native and helpful.

This particular patch is along an old rail line 

that was turned into a trail years ago.

Because we had record-breaking warm temperatures this morning,

I cleared some leaves to check on my little patch

 of snowdrops next to the back door.

Could it be??

It's just the one.  But it's early yet.

I've covered them with leaves again.

Oscar

We lost our sweet dog Oscar yesterday, and I can still hardly believe it.  He had had some medical issues over the last several months, but I thought everything was under control, and he would have a full recovery.

With Gerrit the day we brought Oscar home in July of 2009: a timid, chubby 5 year old with a short haircut

who wouldn't leave Gerrit's side.

But - blood clots formed and impacted his spine and brain.  The prospects were very grim for his recovery - and if he recovered, he would likely not walk, and the amount of neurological damage was unknown.  Would it be kind to put him through all that?

The people at the vet clinic were so kind and compassionate. I could spend as much time as I needed with him, lying next to him on a blanket on the floor. He was well medicated for pain, but still knew me and made his usual murmuring noises with each breath as he always did when I stroked his face and tummy and told him stories about his time with us.

I'm consoled that he didn't suffer for very long, and that he is reunited with Gerrit.  Gerrit is the reason for Oscar (and his predecessor Quincy) coming to live with us, and I'm so thankful for all the joy and laughter Oscar brought into our lives.  He was good medicine for us all, especially Gerrit, who loved dogs, all dogs.

Oscar was very timid when he first came to live with us but soon gained confidence (and lost pounds) and would bark at anything loud: passing school buses, motorcycles, thunder, fireworks.  He was afraid of stairs - two years of me trying to teach him to use stairs resulted in my finally giving up. If I wanted him to sleep upstairs with us, I'd have to carry him, which I gladly did.

Farewell, sweet Oscar.

The big leagues

My work schedule has expanded from 3 days a week to 4,

which is the tipping point for making it worth buying 

a monthly train pass.

My first monthly pass!

I feel so grown up.

Anticipation

We're so close! @jofroggatt continues the countdown with just 1 DAY TO GO... #DowntonPBS premieres TOMORROW!

A video posted by MASTERPIECE PBS (@masterpieceonpbs) on Jan 2, 2016 at 7:13am PST

Sun

At last, some sun.

Turning Oscar's and an anonymous rabbit's footprints

into art.

Melting just enough snow from the roof

to ornament the winterberry shrub

with icy glitter.

Gilding Oscar's sweet face.

Not pictured:

3 undergarments hanging on the clothesline

after being (unsuccessfully) whitened

 with a very (as it turned out) perfumy product

that I purchased without really thinking it through.

Now optimistically being aerated and deodorized of the sickly sweet perfumy smell

(that continues to cling after 2 washings)

by hanging on the line in the sun and cold wind.

(And why didn't I check the product safety info online first??)