The last weekend in April

Yesterday morning was glorious. The sun was golden and liquid with warmth. I weeded the flowerbeds, enjoying the pull in my hamstrings and my low back. Afterwards, I followed the trail down to the river, followed the Clackamas to where it meets the Willamette, found families picnicing and children playing. I walked farther down along the river, to the community gardens. People were working in it, some industriously, some languidly, planting tomatoes and bell peppers and summer squash, while others cut spring flowers: tulips and daffodils, mainly.

I stopped to watch a soccer match for a bit. And then the wind changed, it picked up, and the sky started to darken. I had left the house without so much as a windbreaker, and the storm was blowing in fierce. It was raining before I got indoors. I showered to warm up, then chatted for a bit online. The storm blew for quite a while, downing several trees, one of which took out the power for a couple of hours. Me being such a carnal wench, it does not take much imagination to predict what I did with my time ;)

When I got up this morning, I went out for a walk, and I found the tree responsible for the outtage, I think. There were several mallard ducks camped out nearby. Its branches are now shelter and its leaves food.

The golf course was dreamy in the mist, a carpet of vivid greens. I wanted to slip off my Keens and walk barefoot on it. Such a wonderful borrowed landscape... all that expance of perfect lawn punctuated with lovely trees, none of which I have to tend myself. Sweet! Yesterday morning the golfers were out quite early, but today, they are still in bed, I think. Most of them don't wear golfing sandals (like I do) and I expect they will wait until the sun burns off most of the dew so they don't get their feet too wet.

By 6:15am there were quite a few fishermen out with their boats parked where the Willamette and Clackamas meet. It is the Spring salmon run. A few late-comers disturbed the peace of the morning, their trolling motors almost obsenely loud. The mist clung close to the river, which was as silvery and reflective as mercury. The air itself had a silvery-white cast, like platinum, and it was moist, and thick with the scents of Spring.

I watched the ducks for a while, and listened to the birds. The birdsong is amazing this morning, and as I followed the trail back up to my place and entered that hall of trees, their chirping became an orchestra that filled me wih exuberance. As always, I am awed by the beauty around me. I love living here. I love being so alive!