Spring ...

... has indeed arrived. A few obstinate patches of snow on the ski-hill trace the swish of Lady Winter's frigid cloak as she retreats and Spring with its verdant promise gently traipses in.

Spring showers, quick and short ... sunshine, peeping in between the clouds, playing hide and seek, getting caught in errant water droplets and bursting out into beautiful rainbows, like the irresistable joy in the laughter of youth. The springs and creeks overflow with the same joy as they gurgle and meander through the woods and gush into the lake. The lake is impatient. She is finally free to ebb and flow in ancient celestial rhythms and dance with the wind, having finally broken free from the frigid spell of winter. The ground is warm and wet with potential and bears good news as the first saplings spring to life. Of course, our animal friends are waking up from their wintry slumbers too. Deer, black bears, possums, rabbits ... and of course the ubiquitous worms and spiders. April is here, who knows what spendid plenties Summer will yield.

The seeds I started a couple of weeks back have all germinated under my make-shift greenhouse in one corner of my living room. Corriander, cilantro, basil, tomatoes and a bevy of flowering marigolds and blue love mists. In a week they will be ready to be transfered to the garden (hopefully, Lady Winter will not look back and spare us a late frost or worse, a spring snow storm!). I am surprised at how many of the seeds germinated. The little saplings are jostling for space as they crane their weak stems towards sunlight ... i.e. 2 incandescent GE lamps!! (Ah! the naivete of childhood)

The school year has drawn to a close. The chaos of finals weeks dawns on us tomorrow. The final mad rush before we mellow down and settle into the summer term. Much as I am looking forward to the comparative quiet of the summer time, and the peace and quiet to work on research, it always feels sad to bid the students farewell. Much as I complain about how impossible it is to write a paper when students pop in every five minutes with questions, I will miss the fervour and enthusiasm that such questions come with.

Among other things, yesterday I walked a black labrador (I spend Saturday afternoons at the Humane Society, finding solace in doggy breath and feline whiskers) called Susie. As soon as I met her she made it very clear to me that the Design Process(!) that created her had made a terrible mistake. She did not like the idea of crawling on all fours and was extremely vexed that she could not stand up on her hind legs ... I mean, her feet (Sorry, Susie!) shake paws, look at you in the eyes and generously lick your face. (Maybe, Susie is starting the Canis Erectus line!). I agreed with her, so everytime she ran down the hill and jumped straight up to my chest (I love you Susie, and you did bowl me over more than you needed to!) I had to hold her paws while she genrously licked every square inch of my face.

There is nothing more genuine and unconditional in the animal kingdom than a generous lick and doggy breath. It is unembarrased, unprepared, nothing held back, a simple gesture of unassumed affection. We mouth freshner popping humans have a lesson to learn.

In the mean time, go find someone to lick... I mean kiss, Spring is in the air :)