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Each winter seems longer than the one before. I always anticipate the
first snowfall and eventual freezing of the lake, although I prefer not to see either until all the leaves have fallen
from the trees. Now,
five months later, both snow and ice are old and those fleeting moments of
temperatures above freezing offer encouragement to be patient.
The heat of summer is coming. |
In the diminishing days of winter, Brandon and I entertained ourselves by
building Lego guns to shoot the "bad guys" of whom I was occasionally one.
Sometimes he said the bullets went through me and I wasn't hurt.
So I pushed up from the floor to which I'd ungracefully flopped and followed
him in the continued sleuthing to rid the "woold" (he still has trouble with his r's)
of crime.
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Sophia imitated Brandon who stands on the picnic
table, growls and poses as The Hulk. "Some- one" also taught her how to jump
from the head of my bed to the mattress. |
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By the end of February, outdoor temperatures were rising into the
40's. Geese continued to walk on the lake ice, but the snow melted rapidly
on the walkway and we were finally able to go for a walk.
| Brandon had a footrace with (imaginary) Uncle Brett.
Sophia stopped frequently to (1) pick up pebbles and put them in her mouth,
(2) touch the melting dirt-covered ice and (3) stomp her feet in the
puddles and laugh when she saw the horror on my face as mud dotted her pink
pants. |
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When she brought up dirty hands from playing with the ice and looked
at me, I wiped her hands on my jeans rather than have her touch her pink coat
with them. She's a quick learner. With every subsequent stop to feel or pick up
something new, if her hands got wet or dirty, she dutifully came to me and wiped them on
my pants.
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I took the stroller on our first walk, anticipating that Sophia would tire before
our circuit was complete. Of course, she refused to ride,
preferring instead to push by holding onto the basket. She was very disgruntled when
she noticed I was steering from above. By the time of our third outing, I'd
learned that the stroller would be best left at home. It's much easier to
chase after her without dragging a useless conveyance. |
Into March, the early days (okay, day) brought sun and warmth that lured us outdoors without winter coats. Brandon hurt Sophia in his exhuberence and kissed her to apologize.
Every spring the swallows return to Capistrano,
the buzzards to Hinckley and the geese to the island here.
I've grown to accept the cacophony of their wee hours of the morning
socials as they prepare to nest. Pictured here are the morning stragglers;
most had already left to wander elsewhere for a few hours. |
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Within the next few
days, females will be on their nests. In thirty days,
the goose population, multiplied at least five-fold, will
cruise the channel, the folks honking praise to one another
when they see the two to twelve olive-yellow newly hatched
chicks following behind each pair. |
Copyright ©2004 Kitty Park
