The weather has definitely improved. Forecast high of 83 today!

My tomatoes survived the frost earlier in the week, in fact they appear to be doing well. One more cold spell yet to come this month, at least the long range forecast shows only one, so they may make it through the early planting.

Trees are greening rapidly. Grass in the woods has overtaken the old dead stuff from last year and the trail near the river is looking green. Saw a deer on the trail yesterday, silly thing stood there looking at me as if to say, what you doing on MY trail. Monday I was running into the wind (strong wind) and saw a deer who was quite obviously confused by my presence. She could not smell or hear me I think, and was uncertain what I was even though I flapped my arms and made noise to scare her away. I am hoping to see some babies in the next while.

The time change has really been strange. I am not used to sitting in the dark at 6:30 in the morning.

I went for a leisure walk this afternoon after dropping Carol off at a local hotel. No, we are not having marital difficulties. She needs to engage in some focused time as she writes her dissertation. Having heard of other people who found spending time at a hotel away from husbands, cats, phones, and lots of tasty foods, she decided it was worth trying. We will know if the experiment succeeds Tuesday or Wednesday.

So, I dropped Carol off and headed out to the local greenbelt trail. It is the same trail I like to run, but the other end. The one where Barb found and picked her Texas thistle. As I was entering the park, in fact roughly the same place she found her thistle, I saw three black vultures in the field. When I stopped to take their portraits, the shy ones flew away leaving just this cute feller to wave at me:



The trail itself is starting to look more and more like spring. Still not a lot of green about, but there were a few dogwoods ghosting in the background. what I did see was my first living Texas armadillo! In the almost two years I have been living here I have only seen these creatures dead on the side of the road. They actually move a lot faster than you might expect, making it difficult to get a decent photo of them.



The sign near this bridge claims it is one that Bonny and Clyde may have used as they made their getaway after robbing the Pilot Point bank. I found it rather strange to think that I was standing near a bridge that was part of a history and a world that I never expected to be living in. That doesn't make much sense. What I am trying to say is that most of the time I could be living almost anywhere. Suburbia is the same everywhere, and once you have been in a Walmart, you have been in all of them. Most of the time I am not conscious of living in Texas, and I have become accustomed to the views and the weather so it is only when I see or read something like the note near the bridge that I am aware of where I am living.



This all that remains of the road leading away from the bridge. I could understand why the two thieves might have selected this road. It leads through what is still rather quiet farming/ranching land with few residents. The fields, what remains of the old ones, are small and do not look like they were ever capable of producing a decent crop. Much of this area looks like it is suitable only for cows and a little hay. Dad would have liked it though as there are very few rocks.



The entire walk was pleasant with the temperature around 61 and a light breeze. The sun felt great, even this early in the year it carries more weight than the northern sun.

The weather has improved to the point where I am taking some big risks and planting stuff. Onions, lettuce, chard, peas. Carol and I went to Calloway's and picked up some tomato plants and I will put them into the ground later today. I will have to cover them up come Saturday night, but who can resist planting stuff when it is 74 and the dogwood and redbuds are blooming?

And the Bartlett pears are turning white as well making some streets look reminiscent of North Carolina. I was walking with Carol last night after supper admiring the fresh new baby green leaves. Ahh, spring.

I applied for a library job available here in town. Hopefully, I will hear something back as it would be an ideal job for me though the pay is less than I really desire. Course what I desire (feel I am worth) is way more than any employer would ever consider paying. :)

I pulled my bike out of the garage yesterday and went for a spin. It is fun to peddle here and there, made me feel like a kid again. Quite delightful. Still a bit wobbly and I have a hard time turning corners and signaling, but I did okay.

I may visit Lowe's today and get a rake to clean up the leaves in the back yard and flower gardens up front. I also need a spray nozzle for a garden hose. I will have to mow the front lawn one of these days as well, probably Thursday as I am not going to have much time today.

Ain't Spring grand?