A March Day

Max and Diego, a mellow morning together.

Today is beautiful. Early this morning Max sat with his daddy on the front porch. Max blew bubbles, his feet tucked up under an oversized windbreaker. Even Diego Cat, who loves a moment outdoors, was too cold to stay and play. Max stayed and led his daddy in a bubble-blowing-popping game. Despite the initial cold, the outdoors beckoned.

The sky is blue with only a few, far flung clouds. The earth is water saturated and spongy. It smells good; not just from the dirt, but from everything growing. The flowers and trees smell good. The daffodils and other bulbs are smiling broadly. They smell sweet, like candy. The rosemary smells warm and intricate, and something, maybe the cape mallow or the butterfly bush, has a smoky, burning cedar fragrance. The ornamental plum tree has one faint pink blossom and ten thousand buds ready to burst open. And the mulberry tree too has just begun to hint at the leaves to come. Every branch and tip is covered in swelling leaf buds. Tiny pink roses are climbing the arbors and fences. Their blushing faces kissed by dew.

There is snow, looking far east to the mountains, and closer to home there are flocks of birds filling the trees, stealing seeds, fluffing their feathers. The hens have clucked and laid. After their rousing and boastful trio concert, I was not surprised to find that all three had left warm, smooth eggs in the nest. They took care of their business right away; they must have been eager to appreciate the light, the warmth, the intangible and special quality of the day.

This is a day to fly kites and picnic, poke a stick in the mud, search for lady bugs and tadpoles. William and Alex are on their way home with their daddy. They've been playing tennis. Grandma and Grandpa are sitting together, having breakfast, absorbing their coffee. Diego has been following the shaft of light from the kitchen window; he stretches and rolls in the glorious heat. This is a day to honor our senses to watch birds and cats, to smell lavender and sage, to feel the coolness of the shaded corners and the glow of the noonday sun. The green is green and shades between, and so are the blues and violets. The red is bright, the yellow laughs and all around the colors delight.


A very beautiful day.