The Dance Recital

Saturday, my niece, Zoe, had her dance recital with Floyd Ward School of Dance. She is into clogging and apparently is very good at it.

The recital is an astonishing 12 hours long. It took place over two days, with a show Friday night and two on Saturday. All were at the auditorium at the Roanoke Civic Center.

The theme was "Circus Zircus" and many of the tunes were dances related to circus activities. The costumes were fantastic, the very small girls were darling, and the older girls made me wish I were 16 again.

My niece danced in several routines during the four hours I was there. This was her outfit for the opening number:

Below, that's her in the middle with the purple hair. We weren't supposed to be taking pictures during the event; however, I turned off the flash and attempted to sneak in a few shots. This is the only one that turned out, though.

She danced really well. I could hardly believe it was my nine-year-old niece up there doing all of that tapping and moving. It was quite exciting. I'm very proud of her!

Jumbals and Paper Pancakes

Thursday evening, the Botetourt County Historical Society hosted a talk called Jumbals and Quire of Paper Pancakes: Food & Family in Mid-19th Century Fincastle.

The talk was presented by Professor Gail McMillan, Director of Digital Libraries and Archives at Virginia Tech, and Dr. Jean Robbins, R.D., retired from the Virginia Cooperative Extension. (She said during her talk that she was 82 years old!)

Professor McMillan told a story of Nannie Figgat and her marriage to Charlie Figgat, both of Fincastle. They lived in the 1800s and at the turn of the 20th century. Theirs was a love story with a rather bad ending. After more than 30 years of marriage, Charlie Figgat absconded with a sum of money from his empoyer, the Bank of Lexington, in 1895, and vanished. He left his family behind.

I thought that was very sad. Typical, maybe, but still sad. Woe to those for whom the almighty dollar has more power than love.

 During Dr. Robbins' volunteer work with the Botetourt County History Museum, she became intrigued with Nannie Figgat. Eventually she found that Figgat's diary and cookbook were in the holdings at Virginia Tech.

Turns out, Nannie Figgat was a well-to-do gentile woman who kept house, oversaw her servants, and took care of the children. She also lived through the Civil War.

Dr. McMillan became intrigued with the story as well, and many hours of research later, they began showcasing recipes from Figgat's cookbook and telling her life story. They are still piecing the woman's life together. They've spoken about it several times: here is a little write up about another of their events.

The little brochure they handed out included a recipe for jumbals, a type of cookie. The Historical Society served them after the talk and they were very good. Many of the recipes have brandy or other alcoholic beverage in them. Professor McMillan theorized that because the water was not always potable in many places, alcoholic beverages were used in cooking for health purposes.

Because I didn't ask permission, I won't print their version of the jumbal recipe. But I will print the version of this cookie found in The Virginia Housewife, by Mary Randolph. This is one of the first known cook books, written in 1835. The book is available in its entirety for viewing through Google Books.

This version does not include brandy, alas.

Jumbal

Put one pound of nice sugar into two pounds of flour; add pounded spice of any kind, and pass them through a sieve; beat four eggs; pour them on with 3/4 of a pound of melted butter, knead all well together, and bake them.

How's that for easy, eh?

Thursday Thirteen

Today is my husband's birthday, so in his honor, I am going to offer up 13 terrific things about him. If you're a new reader, we've been married for 27 years.

1. He's a very hard worker. He has three jobs - he is a battalion chief with the fire department, he installs septic tanks and does backhoe work, and he runs a farm.

2. He loves me regardless of what I do. I am not very wild and crazy anyway, but I can be moody. He is very understanding.


3. He has a great laugh. He finds laughter in so many things - antics on the farm, stuff on TV, my personal twisted sense of humor. He's a great fan of Monty Python and can repeat almost word-for-word the dialogue from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

4. He loves to watch NASCAR races and always has. He rooted for Bill Elliot for many years. Now he doesn't seem to have a favorite and mostly roots against certain people, like Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.


5. He has a motorcycle that he calls a "crotch rocket" which he enjoys riding when the weather is warm.



6. He likes to deer hunt and is very happy when he is out in the woods hoping to bag his big buck.

7. He can run any piece of machinery there is, I think. He fixes them, too. His hands are always dirty and marked with grease.



8. He loves to mow the yard. He is always satisfied when our "estate" is mowed and trimmed.

9. He has spent his entire life here on the farm and his roots are deep and long.


10. His family always comes first.


11. Learning new things is not out of the question for him. I've gotten him sort of up to speed on computer and he is even doing a little of his bookkeeping work these days.

12. He joined the fire department 28 years ago and rose up through the ranks to become chief. I can't tell you how proud I am of him for being so successful.


13. He's a good and great guy in all areas. I am so very lucky to have him! Happy Birthday, baby!




Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 193rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Trillium

Hidden in a little valley on the farm is a stand of trees. In April, the forest floor takes on a lovely white or lavender color.

Trillium is in bloom.

Trillium is a native perennial. I like to think that my ancestors found the wildflower as lovely as I do.

The flower can be damaged if picked and take years to recover. I never pick them. I just go look at them and take pictures.

My Mother's Soul

As a girl, I was full of questions. My mother received the brunt of these, and she usually answered with patience. My inquiries ranged from "why is the sky blue" to "what happens when we die?"

Our conversations throughout 37 years together often sounded like Philosophy 101. I never ceased to question, and she did her best to fulfill my curiousity. "Because" was not an answer I ever accepted.

We debated alien beings, the meaning of God, the legend of Big Foot, and the Loch Ness Monster. We talked of faith and logic, emotion and intelligence.

We rarely reached conclusions, for these are unanswerable questions, after all.

In 2000, as my mother rested in a hospital bed, her body giving way to the cancer that was eating her up from the inside, she drew me to her.

"I want you to know that life goes on," she said. "What can I do to show you that? I will answer your questions. How can I do that?"

I thought about this. If there was sentient, conscious life beyond the grave, how then would I know for sure I was receiving a message from my mother?

Finally, I gave her an answer. "Send me something orange," I said. I didn't want to make it a difficult task. But there was nothing orange in my house, no orange furniture, no orange quilts, blankets or towels. Orange was not my favorite color, so anything entering my house that was orange was sure to get my attention.

She nodded when I explained my reasoning for this request. I can still see her leaning back against the pillows, her mouth moving as she whispered to herself, "something orange."

My mother passed away in August of that year. Months passed. Soon it was June, with spring giving way quickly to summer. My birthday came and a dear friend showed up at my doorstep with a present.

She brought me a rose bush. I was surprised because June is a little late to be planting roses and my friend is not a gardener. "I found this one plant and thought of you," she said. Something told her she simply had to buy it for me.

And every year, when the thing blooms, I have the most exquisite orange roses you ever saw. What can I do but look up, and think of Mom?

Books: People of the Book

People of the Book
By Geraldine Brooks
Read by Edwina Wren
14 hours unabridged
Copyright 2008

I adored Brook's novel Year of Wonders and People of the Book proved to be just as intriguing.

Hanna Heath, an Australian book expert, goes to Sarajevo to look at and fix a book called a haggadah, a Jewish prayer book that is 500 years old. It is one of the earliest Jewish books to have illustrations and thus very rare and priceless.

While she is working on the book, she falls for the librarian who saved it during the Bosnian war. She also discovers some tiny artifacts within the book: an inset wing, wine stains, salt crystals, and a white hair.

The story then takes the reader back in time to explain how each of these items ended up in the book, giving the readers characters and story. It is smartly and deftly done, and the reader eventually learns who made the drawings and how the book came to be made and saved.

Additionally, if one knows little of the Jewish faith, and I confess that I am ignorant of it, for the most part, there might be something to learn here. Details of the Spanish Inquisition, for one thing, were rather horrifying as presented in this novel. The author is so detailed and exacting that I feel certain the things she wrote about must have some truth to them.

There is also a little present-day mystery to be solved, as well as much character-building with Hanna and her mother. That in and of itself is an interesting second plot line.

This novel was inspired by a true story, which made it all the more interesting to me. While I enjoyed the audio, I did get lost once or twice (maybe the result of the passage of time as I listened to this in the car), so the print version might be a better venue.

Highly recommended.

A Day at Green Valley

Last week my friend and I headed toward northern Virginia to the Green Valley Book Fair.

We make this trek at least once a year.

It's not like I need more books, mind you. I have shelves full, and a pile of books to read that is larger than any I've ever had before.

I seriously considered making a huge purchase of Nancy Drew books, as they had a large selection. However, I could not remember which ones I have here at home. A very long time ago I had thought to collect them all, but I never did. They were $2.50 each, which is more than I would have paid for them at the time I was collecting them (it was a long time ago). But it is a lot less than they sell for now.

My friend told me not to take her picture, so I can't show you what she looks like. She said a side view was good enough.

We also stopped by The Cheese Shop, which is near Stuarts Draft. This is my favorite place to buy certain spices. I also purchase a lot of McCutcheon's Apple Butter here, as it is my husband's favorite.

It was a good day.

Thursday Thirteen

Upon learning recently that ABC will offer a remake of Charlie's Angels in an upcoming season, I thought I would list 13 TV shows that I liked and might watch if they were to be remade. One hopes that such shows would be well-produced and well-acted in order to keep the viewer watching.

Sometimes when I am watching an old show, I think about how the plot lines might be different because of technology. Today we have cell phones and no phone booths. I wonder where Superman changes his clothes? How does this impact these old shows when they are being remade?

Please remember that I don't watch a lot of TV, so I might have to reach back a ways to come up with 13.

1. Cagney & Lacey. This is one of my favorite all-time TV shows. Great acting, excellent scripts, lots of drama. It made me cry, it kept my attention, it gave me goose bumps.

2. Hunter. I enjoyed this show tremendously because of the chemistry between Fred Dryer and Stephanie Kramer. Could two new actors pull it off?

3. Magnum, PI. I honestly didn't watch this much - I couldn't get the channel - but I think I would like to see it updated, with some cute yet down-home guy in the lead.

4. Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I am a big Kate Jackson fan, so I watched this because of her. I would like to see the show updated with someone like, oh, I don't know, Drew Barrymore or somebody like that.

5. Moonlighting. Another show with character chemistry.

6. L. A. Law. Another show I watched because I was a fan of an actress. This time, it was Susan Dey, who I loved as a Patridge.

7. X-Files. Okay, I confess. I have never seen the original of this, not even one single episode. I could not get the channel when it first came on and never caught it afterwards for unknown reasons. It always sounded like something I would like, though. So let's remake it so I can catch up!

8. Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Yes, I like cartoons. I liked this one in particular. By all your powers combined, I am Captain Planet! The power is yours!

9. Whose Line Is It Anyway? This was an improv show that kept me laughing. I enjoyed it in all its incarnations. It was the first show I watched on Comedy Central.

10. Star Search. The forerunner to the American Idols and their ilk of today, this show was more of a variety show and it didn't have evil judges.

11. Quantum Leap. This was a show about a doctor lost in time. He'd jump into the body and life of someone else. He'd have to solve a problem or set something right in order to leap out. Lots of variety and interesting acting.

12. Sliders. This show bombed out around season 3, but its first two seasons showed such promise that it deserves a revisit. The characters in the show visit parallel universes in search of their own, with each universe different from their own world.

13. Wonder Woman. This actually was slated to return, but this article indicates the show was not picked up by NBC as anticipated. Wonder Woman is a superhero with a golden lasso and an invisible airplane. I read the comics and followed the TV show religiously when I was (much much) younger.

There are, of course, a lot of other shows that I enjoyed but might not want to see updated. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena: Warrior Princess come to mind. I am not sure I want to see those shows improved. I would also like to see a new Star Trek series of some kind. I want less reality TV and more story, but I am wondering if story is a thing of the past where TV is concerned.

Anyway, that's my TT for today! Hope it brought back a memory or two.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 192nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

In Love With Iris

I think the iris is the most loveliest of flowers. I love them in all colors.

My mother also loved the iris, so the flower reminds me of her.

Some of my irises are from plants that she planted.

She obtained them from Aunt Susie, my maternal great aunt, who passed away a few years ago.

They are all in the family, so the flowers' blooms give me warm fuzzies sometimes.

They grow strong and tall here at my house.

I love to watch them swaying in the breeze.

This iris is at the rental property I own, which is where I lived as a child. I don't know if this iris was there when we were or not.

I think maybe this one was there, though, just because of where it is planted. That makes it a very old plant indeed, if my mother placed it by the fence row.

Don't they make you want to dance?

Removing the Clutter

After I returned to school, I found that the space that I use for my official business office became the catch-all for magazines, newspapers, and other items. They began piling up in February and then they multiplied and had babies for the next 12 weeks.

Yesterday, I could bear it no more. I began tossing things and straightening up. If I tossed out anything less than 50 pounds of magazines and paper, all headed for the recycling bin, I would be surprised.

I found no great mysteries lurking beneath the piles, but did manage to locate the top of my desk. This is what it looked like after I was done.

Maybe not a great change from where you sit, but I assure you, it is!

The Christian's Harry Potter

Last week the local library hosted a talk on Harry Potter, sort of a celebration of the upcoming final movie.

The speaker's name was John Granger, who bills himself as the Hogswart Professor. He is also known as "the Dean of Harry Potter." His website is hogswartprofessor.com. Be advised I can only get it to come up in Firefox and not at all in Internet Explorer if you check it out.

Anyway, he's written several books about J.K. Rowling's works, including How Harry Cast His Spell: The Meaning Behind the Mania, The Deathly Hallows Lectures: The Hogwarts Professor Explains, Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader, and Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures.

I confess I had never heard of the guy, or of his books, until the library invited him to talk.

John Granger as he appeared last week during a local talk.

Mr. Granger told the audience that he was a "strong" Christian and he initially read the first Harry Potter book so he could point out to his daughter why his family did not read such things. However, being a student of classical literature, he found many references to the great works of art and quite a lot of Christian imagery.

Eventually, he created a career out of his thoughts on Rowling's series.

During his lecture, he explained how Rowling's books must be looked at from the standpoint of post-modernism, and post-modern thought. He explained this type of thinking as "the big myth is wrong" with a narrative of "prejudice is evil" and another narrative of "there is no absolute" and "we can't know anything for sure." He also characterized post modern thought as the belief that "choices define you" and he quickly got around to one of the biggest and most hyped "choices" of our time - abortion. I leave you to guess what he said about that topic, but suffice it to say that I came close to walking out. I certainly did not feel the comments were appropriate for the setting.

When he wasn't preaching, I did find some of Granger's thoughts on the Harry Potter books intriguing.

He called the books "literary alchemy," a term I had not heard before and one I liked. This might be taking truths and turning them into fiction, or other such things. In Rowling's case, one might argue she has taken a great myth and turned it into modern literature, or something like that.

He argued that Harry Potter has many Christian symbols in the book. For example, these include parallels between Harry Potter and Jesus and the images of the phoenix and the unicorn, both of which are associated with Christianity. Additionally, there are many references to the number three, which of course relates to the Trinity.

I personally feel that one can read whatever one wishes into a book, particularly a work of fantasy, and some of the Christian imagery is a stretch. Sometimes a unicorn is just a unicorn, but who am I to say. I also feel it necessary to point out the some of the imagery the Christian community calls its own was there long before the religion, and like the Christmas tree, is actually pagan in its historical beginnings.

Another of his points included the idea that the books, as a series and as each individual work, are a ring, in that the beginning and end meet. Additionally, the front half of the bok mirrors the second half, and the first three books of the series echo the final three books, with book four being the pivotal point.

In other words, the Chamber of Secrets mirrors the Half Blood Prince, for example. And chapter 1 and the final chapter in any book would reflect one another.

This, I thought, had merit, as I had noticed the mirroring myself as I read. I think my disappointment in The Deathly Hallows arose from the fact that I felt some of this was lost in the last work. I thought Deathly Hallows read like it was written for the screen, a feeling I did not get from the other books.

Symbolism and references to past literatures create a large body that can and does influence any good piece of writing. Granger is arguing that Rowling's books are so well-received because they tap into that historic well and bring forth those myths and legends in a new way. I cannot argue with that.

He noted that the books fall into a number of literary genres, not just fantasy. He called them mysteries, school boy books,  and gothics, to name a few.

He called Hermione the "mind" of the book, while Ron was the "body" and Harry the "soul." He also likened Hermione to Nancy Drew and Ron and Harry to the Hardy Boys. I definitely liked that notion.

I left before the talk ended, having another commitment, so I am not sure what other areas the lecture ventured into. Granger has received a bit of criticism from many different venues, some of which is online, over his observations. The criticism comes from all fronts - Christians object to his premise, and non-Christians object to it, too.

I found the talk interesting and Granger was a good speaker. I did object to the preaching part, which simply did not belong in that discussion at that time. He should leave his prostelyzing to other arenas.  As my husband said, "I didn't come here to be preached at." I know a few others in the audience did not come for that, either, but perhaps his readers were not as surprised as we were. Fortunately, he moved quickly away from those points and unless he took to preaching again at the end, it was fleeting.

I can argue with his conclusions about Harry Potter either way, but I thought the ideas interesting enough to share here with you today. If nothing else, this is a great demonstration of how a piece of writing can mean one thing to one person and something completely different to someone else.

Haying Time

With the wet weather finally over, it's time for the alfalfa to be laid low with the mower.

Yesterday all around farm machinery whirred across uneven fields, the farmers bobbing up and down on their seats as they went round and around. All up and down the road, fields of emerald green that swayed in the wind turned into neat rows of cut grass.

Cut hay smells sweet and dusty, and its perfume in the air on this Sunday. The beautiful day is heavy with sunshine and thunderhead clouds over the mountain. A stillness in the air that has the grasshoppers searching for shade makes the Blue Ridge Mountains shimmer with haze.

The mowers yesterday buzzed like bees, but today they do not sound. It is a day of rest even for the farmers.

Some days, when the sun beats down relentlessly, I make lemonade. I fill the pitcher with ice and then carry it to the edge of the field. I stop and hold the pitcher high until I am seen. Then I watch the tractor as the driver abandons the raking or tetting or baling, and drives toward me with wild abandon.

My husband hops down from the tractor with a cocky grin on his face. He stands there and downs a full glass of lemonade as if in one gulp. He always leaves me with a sticky, dirty kiss on my face. His helpers, if there are any, offer thanks and return the glass to me.

On haying days my husband comes in the house, his whole body dripping sweat, and I make him disrobe in the garage so he doesn't track hay dust all over the house.

After the hay is up, the fields that glimmered green now glisten gold, but just for a short while. As soon as a rain falls, they green right up again.

And after a time, it'll all start over again.

Sanctuary

I never tire of taking pictures of the Hollins University campus. I was on the premises Thursday, picking up my final papers, and the grounds crew was busy readying the Quad for graduation.

Next year I plan to be among those graduates, marching once again to receive another diploma from this old and honorable institution.

Hollins was established in 1842 (20 years before the American Civil War) and initially called Valley Union Seminary. It became a women's college 10 years later and received the Hollins name at that time. It was the first women's college in Virginia.

The buildings reflect the architecture of the time. I think they are some of the loveliest structures in the area.

The backside of Botetourt Hall.

Main and the chairs out front as graduation nears.

Main again, home of the Green Drawing Room, site of many poetry readings.

Bradley Hall. When I was an undergraduate, this was the home of the English Department. Just walking into this building could fill me with inspiration.

The main administration building.

The chapel.

The front of Botetourt.

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen

As I am sure you've heard by now, tomorrow is the day the earth ends. Or it's the rapture for Christians and those who believe (in Christ, in the rapture, or both) will rise up into the sky.

So I wanted to be sure to say goodbye to those of you who are my readers who may not be here come Sunday. I hope you have a good trip.

One report I read said Christians will rise from their graves and take a walk before heading up into the clouds. I find that a bit horrific and a little terrifying to think about, myself. They have to be pretty moldy or nothing but bones. I suppose some people find comfort in this notion, but I can't say that I do.

In any event, I do not plan to be among those who are rising upwards tomorrow, even though I have been baptised and thus might qualify.  I just happen to think it isn't going to work like that, nor do I think the end of the world is a predictable date. I hope I am not surprised.

I am not poking fun. I think that people who believe this are completely serious. It bothers me, though, that these end of the world scenarios will not go away. What I find disturbing about it is that people want to leave their life so quickly. Does it mean nothing? That, to me, is very sad. I think it is quite a verdict on society, too, that so many people find so little happiness in this lifetime that they are eager to move on to the next. That there are so many who want to do this speaks poorly of our ability to care for one another.

I also wonder what happens to people who fervently believe such things and then are let down. Do they just decide they had a wrong date? Do they begin to question the things they've been taught? What happens when you believe something like this and it turns out to be false?

According to this article by the Guardian, ideas about the end of the world began in the 17th century. Thus one might blame modernization for these end time beliefs. Is it modern science, as the article states? Or is it the result of the more individualistic society in which we live, where we have little regard for our fellow man?

Some people think Christ has already come a second time and we are living in the hell that follows. I don't know about that. Poverty has been around for forever, as have diseases, illnesses, and other bad things. Seems like there might be something there to indicate a change of some sort had something like that happened.

The world will end one day. Maybe an asteroid will collide with the planet, or the sun will blow up, or the guys in suits who have their fingers on the nuclear buttons will have too much to drink one night and boom! there we all go. But I find I cannot live my life worrying about such things.

Anyway, whatever happens tomorrow, I hope that you find peace and happiness. Be blessed, be joyful, be kind to small animals.

Have a great day.

I'll be blogging again tomorrow.

Thursday Thirteen

1. "Thog reached into the icy waters and took hold of the fabled Warclub of Goog and set forth to purge the hunting lands of the evil demon that was plaguing . . . " Park & Dulllemond, The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy (page 13).

2. "Call today and learn how you can be 'Job Ready'" - National College ad. "We live in a world where life skills seldom count." - Me. (Ad on the back of a local publication without 13 pages).

3. "Don't know what she expected, Crystal marrying one of those highfalutin Atlanta Wentworths," was a consensus, if not the general one. - Anne River Siddons in Burnt Offerings (page 13).

4. "When the woman is a contemporary, a living but not directly present other, her claim to authority becomes even more fragile, for she cannot override by sheer force of character the typification "woman" by which she is stereotyped and diminished in male consciousness." - Lengermann & Niebrugge, The Women Founders (page 13).

5. "New shows roll in from over the mountains and the magician reappears unannounced from a fold in the curtain you never dreamed was an opening." - Anne Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (page 13).

6. "Managing Your Risk is More Important Now Than Ever" - Morgan Stanley ad. "When was it ever not important?" - Me. (Ad on the back of a local publication without 13 pages.)


7. "At the same time, Reitz notes that members of the governor's staff have indicated to him that Brownback is considering whether to exercise his line-item veto power to strip out whatever funding the legislature approves for the commission." - "Arts Crunch in Kansas," in Poets & Writers, May/June 2011 (page 13).

8. "Consequently, it is not perfectionism that is the problem but the discrepancy between perfectionist standards and perform." - Piers Steel, Ph.D., in The Procrastination Equation (page 13).

9. "It's important to know when an author used the protagonist's name and when we was just referred to as "he."' - N. M. Kelby, The Constant Art of Being a Writer (page 13).

10. "Have you ever accidentally left your notes or diary behind on a train or plane and bemoaned the loss of what certainly had been your best work?" - Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers (page 13).

11. "She would love to see what the inside looked like. She just didn't think she had any right to." - Sarah Addison Allen, The Peach Keeper (page 13).

12. "If the situation calls for it, offer flexibility when talking with customers." "What's Being Done About Customer Service" in Valley Business Front, April 2011 (page 13).

13. "You just don't want to get tied up in somebody else's vision." - Nikki Giovanni in "A Conversation with Nikki Giovanni" by Chapman Hood Frazier in The Writer's Chronicle, March/April 2011 (page 13).

Today's Thursday Thirteen comes from the 13th page (or the last page, in two instances) of publications that are within my reach without getting up. These are mostly items that I am in the process of reading or they are in my "read this when you have time" pile.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 191st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Columbine 2011

Roses 2011

Early Spring

Redbud tree

Dogwood

 

Dogwood  up close

I did get out and shoot a few pictures of spring when things were blooming and beautiful. We've about morphed into summer now, and the trees are full of leaves. Things are green and growing.