First Yard Work of the Year

We've been having a bit of a thaw the past few days. It feels so wonderful to get outside and breathe fresh air. Ahhh! There's something, be it however odd, that I just love about using my muscles and exerting extra energy while in the great outdoors with the endless blue sky hovering above and wisps of wind coming and going.

Today's chore was far from glamours. I spent a good amount of time cleaning up after the pups. But it was a chore worth doing, it can certainly be classified yard work, and I had the tremendous privileged of being out doors. Spring is a long way off but this year's first bit of yard work is officially in the books.

Little Abe spent his time chopping at ice, stomping in mud (frozen dirt actually), breaking twigs off the lilac bush and running all around. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

The photo above, something that once again causes me to marvel at life, and growth, at the power of seeds and nature. This patch of dirt that had only two or three days ago been covered in at least a foot of snow is now home to a small congregation of giant red sunflower sprouts, courtesy of that pesky squirrel that spent several days late this past summer climbing the large sunflower and eating the seeds. I'm not expecting them to survive the winter. I mean it generally snows on and off in these parts going into April. BUT what a little treasure to find buried beneath the snow!