RAIN!

We have finally had a few good back-to-back storms. Locally it has meant periods of steady downpour with temperatures in the low 50s and, fortunately, not much in the way of wind. The ground is soaking it up (although the clay is slow to drink, even when thirsty; parts of our backyard were downright boggy). It's got the seasonal creeks flowing and the frogs singing.

Meanwhile our spring continues to develop: there are yellow daffodils nodding at the front of our yard, the town is full of brightly blooming trees in hot pink, pale pink, and white. The magnolias around the courthouse are bursting out of their buds.

The amount of homework associated with a five unit Spanish class is wreaking havoc with my time. The house is staying acceptably clean. The cats are getting played with at least once a day, and sometimes twice (because if I don't burn their energy up, they end up tussling and growling and raising hell). What is getting short shrift right now is weapons practice and pleasure reading. I am carving out 1 to 2 hour chunks of time to paint two or three times a week, though. That the space is so inviting is really helpful - I look forward to getting in there. And while the quantity of work associated with the Spanish class is daunting, on an intellectual level I genuinely enjoy the challenge, and the time spent in class is very enjoyable. My only real worry is what is going to happen once vegetable gardening season starts. Well, there's no real mystery: since it largely correlates with the hot season, when yardwork must be done early in the day, on days I go to the day job, the alarm clock is going to get set 20 minutes earlier. I'll be out there in my grubby clothes working at 6:30 in the morning, then washing up and changing and playing with the cats - good thing it's just an 8 minute drive to the office!