Sidewalk beauty...

21 April 2025: I knew today would have some hard moments, so I made myself pause at a sight that strikes me with its bittersweet beauty every spring on my walks: these little sidewalk crack that fill with redbud petals. 

Redbud 2025

4 April 2025:

[Catch-up post]

The best tree in my yard hit its stride on Saturday. Just breath-taking.

Room with a view...

3 April 2025: Can't argue with the view out of the home office window this time of year.

Stadium Tree

2 April 2025: I started my walk this morning in maybe not the best mood, though it's hard to say why. I couldn't help but notice, though, how the morning sun was coloring the sky (especially just beyond the Potomac, though I didn't get a picture of that). As I came to the top of the hill near Ram Stadium, I stopped to admire this tree, doing its thing this year like it does every year, with that pretty light in the backgroud. It didn't fix everything, but it sure didn't hurt. 

Open window days...

30 March 2025: Finding all the weird poses on this open window day...

First visitor...

29 March 2025: After I got my parents a BirdBuddy feeder a couple of years ago, I asked them for one for myself (when I couldn't think of any other gifts to ask for!). Since today really felt like the end of winter (it's 77 degrees at nearly 7:00 p.m. when I type this), I finally set it up outside.

Behold the first visitor!

Just ahead...

28 March 2025: For a bunch of reasons (construction on Mill Street, the need for some variety), I don't think I had done my old, usual morning walk--with a stop at Rumsey Park--all semester long. This mornimg, I realized that the forsythia down that way might be doing their thing. I got excited at just the idea of seeing them. And just when I turned the bend, I could see that pop of yellow up ahead and my heart soared. 

1-0!

27 March 2025: Lucky enough to get to be home this afternoon and watch the Yanks win the season opener. Let's go, Yankees! Let's go, spring!

Getting closer...

25 March 2025: Stopped on my way into my office today to take a good look at this lovely lilac bush out behind Knutti. It won't bloom until late April, at the earliest, I think, but still...you can see they are on their way and that made me smile. Hopeful.

The universe also sent me a "yeah, but not too hopeful" message while I was looking the bush. A kind of big twig came falling down from above, hitting my head and making me jump. I laughed and said, "okay, okay..."

"Spring in the mischief in me"

19 March 2025: Crazy-busy day, but not a bad one. Been working non-stop with probably about an hour's more work to go before I let myself call it. At the same time, Frost's line from "Mending Wall" (in this post's title) has been in my head on and off all day. Part of the reason is that I taught the poem in ENGL 204 today. 

Beyond that, though, the idea of mischief (fueled by the transition to my favorite season) has been kind of fueling my attitude (in good ways). 

Anyway, this isn't the most thought-out or eloquent post, I know. (See above--so much more to do, "miles to go before I sleep," to borrow even more from Frost.) But it's enough to "count" for my daily post and get my butt back to work! 

Hope pushing through...

13 March 2025: Today was the gloomiest day, weather-wise, of Spring Break so far. (Not too bad--just chillier and cloudier.) In a way, that made it more meaningful to come across the first of these flowers that I've seen this spring.

Hope, even on a cloudy and chilly day, even in a patch of sandy, other-wise lifeless dirt, even with some trash in the background. 

Hope fighting through.

Liminal Jo

9 April 2024: Jo was very good at posing in liminal spaces today.

Earlier in the day, deciding whether or not to crash my Zoom conferences. (She crashed some of them...)

Enjoying the first day this season with lots of open-window time. And there's the redbud, doing its thing.

First mow of 2024...

7 April 2024: And it's a "go" on the 2024 lawn-mowing season! As I made my way around the yard, I did some of my usual yard-work contemplating, including trying to imagine that in the not-too-distant future, I'll be pushing the machine in shorts and sweating my head off (in contrast to the jeans, sweatshirt, and relatively dry brow of today's experience). And then, eventually, the sweatshirt will reemerge and the season will end. 

Spread some fertilizer, too, and ordered a new edger. (I might have the worst luck with these things.)

Snapped this picture a few hours after I finished. The sky really was that blue. 

Still feel the satisfaction of a stereotypical suburban dad every time.

Found some more "first mow" posts from years' past here, here, and here. 

Favorite tree...

21 March 2024: My favorite tree on campus is magical again this year. 

Forsythia

20 March 2024: I knew today would be a long day, so I made myself stop for a minute on my morning walk and appreciate the huge patch of forsythia by Rumsey Park. Just a pause to take them in. One of my favorite signs of spring every year. 

Spring preview...

3 March 2024: If today is a taste of what spring will feel like (and what my post-Senate, post-book) days will be like, I am beyond ready for it. I pushed myself to finish everything on my work lists yesterday, so today, I just let myself have a work-free day. (A new weekly book "to do list" starts tomorrow, and two sections of ENGL 102 hand in big papers, so this bit of freedom will be short-lived.)

Still...slept in a bit. Ambled through the grocery store. Read the paper. Started my new book club book. Watched the softball team's home opener (they won). Took a long walk. Opened the windows for a few hours. Took some time to cook a new recipe for dinner. I could get very used to this.

Someone else enjoyed this taste of spring, too.

View out back...

10 April 2023: Made sure to get home when it was light out today--just brought my work home with me. Why? Well, I wanted to break too-long streak of 13+ hour days and get home to my knuckleheads. But I also wanted to appreciate the view of the redbud from the back door. It's blooming every year just fills me with joy. When the TV is off, it reflects the flowers, too, so in lots of ways, it's hard not to see the blooms from the living room. 

First mow...

8 April 2023: First mow of the season today--the surefire sign that spring is here, even if we've got a freeze warning for tonight. 

Favorite campus tree...

28 March 2023: Favorite tree on campus is doing its thing again. Spring vibes helping me get through a busy day that also included a double-cat vet visit.

Looking up...

26 March 2023: Snapped this while passing under the trees by University Heights. No prettier time of year. And hoping, praying, hoping, praying that this post's title fits a double-meaning I am willing into existence.