Signs of Spring

I'm finally getting around to uploading these pictures, so it is going to be one big post rather than a few smaller ones...

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We spent a good part of the weekend a couple weeks ago doing yardwork - raking the front yard and digging out bushes. It was still pretty chilly but I would actually prefer to be out working with long sleeves on rather than sweating in the summer heat. I have decided that our yard is plenty big enough now that I have been out there raking the leaves for hours and I haven't even touched the back yard yet. I guess it's hard not to have hundreds of thousands of leaves to rake when there are wooded areas on three sides of the yard. I just hope that it stays leaf-free once it's all been raked until fall - not likely. Anyway, it was good to finally be out of the house - I love the smell on the clothes when you've been outside in the Spring - indescribable. We were at Mom and Dad's for Easter - it's been awhile since we have been there for Easter Sunday - it was nice to be there to go to church (hear Mom sing in the cantata) and have Easter dinner together. It was a gorgeous weekend...the weather was warm enough to be out in shorts. Mom grilled hamburgers and hot dogs Saturday. Dad and Mike hit some golf balls into the field and then later Mike disappeared on the bike into the woods. We had our windows open in the house last week enjoying the unusually warm temperatures into the night. This last weekend we stopped at Mom and Dad's again (after our trip to the Cleveland Clinic) and we planted some of the garden - carrots, potatoes, parsley, radishes, parsnips. It's amazing how much more the flowers and trees have blossomed in one week. (Mike spent all weekend inside and not feeling well - he has strep throat. He started an antibiotic today, so hopefully he'll be feeling lots better soon.)