Present-day

This afternoon we spent hours outside making mud soup.  A couple times flecks of water fell on my nose and I had to check to see if it was one of the kids flinging their mixture into the air.  No, it was spring rain.  Spring rain--in this part of Canada the brief showers are quite cold and sporadic.  We returned inside damp and very chilled and ready for hot chocolate but what a thrill to dig out the rubber boots and splash pants.  I took these photos a few weeks ago when things felt pretty surreal and ominous, more snow was in the forecast, and everything was stranded and closed.  I'm still feeling all of those things, places are still stranded and closed, and snow is still a likelihood but our ground is softening, my eavestroughs are flowing and dripping, the chickadees have a melted pool of water in their birdbath, and there is beauty all around.