Rain, mud, bees... it's early spring

Monday-- 39 degrees and raining, and it's been raining all night. Greening up the lawns and trees, pushing up crocuses and daffies... but also muddy and wet. Days like this, I'm grateful I no longer live on a dirt road a mile from pavement as I did from the age of 12 until I got married. 

Yesterday, G and I went out for an afternoon coffee, and while we were out, we braved Walmart. Ugh. Hate that store-- it's huge, the floors are concrete, and there's just so much STUFF. That said, G needed a bike helmet. His doctor has been after him to increase his sustained activity (as if 12 hour shifts hauling five gallon buckets of paint isn't enough, but yeah), so he's got his bike up and ready to go. Which is, of course, another good reason not to live on a dirt road-- pavement is kinder to ride on. We also got him a mirror/light thingy too-- safety is a good thing, especially if one is hard of hearing. At any rate, ugh, the store, but okay, we found what we needed (and a few other things--alas, that's the whole purpose of those big box stores). I found a cheap vinyl tablecloth (my table is round, most of my table cloths are rectangular, so it's helpful), and a cute little tee shirt/shorts outfit for Holly, and some piddle pads for the dog. Woo. 

At any rate, it was a relaxing day. Good church and pancake breakfast, got my essays graded (most were okay, too many were meh), Red Sox won, Bruins won, and G got some outside stuff accomplished, including working with his bees. 

What a gift, eh? The bees made it through, and now they are hauling tree pollen, laying eggs, and doing the usual bee-stuff. He's going to make sure to manage them better this time, so that if they start overcrowding, he can maybe avoid a swarm. I sure hope so. I'm planning my garden in my head as we speak. I want two more garden boxes to grow more veggies. I think we'll need it, given the dire nature of the news about food and so on. 

And dire it is. The current administration is taking a fight to the Pope, of all people, because (gee whiz) he's not supporting conflict and degradation of human beings. And the decreed blockade of the Strait will affect not only gas/oil, but all sorts of shipping. And those dominos will fall at a rate that will send all prices soaring--add in the tariffs (which we are not supposed to be enduring, but here we are). It's a muddle. 

I hope your day is a glorious one. Take good care of each other. 

C