signs of spring (finally!)

I think this might be the latest springtime I can ever remember!  One of the big spring events in this state is the opening of fishing season, usually on Mother's Day weekend.  I did learn that it isn't required that it happens on that weekend and leave a bunch of fishing widows behind on their special holiday.  It actually is scheduled according to a certain Saturday after some phase of the moon or something like that, but it does seem to interfere with either our wedding anniversary (5/16) or Mother's Day every year.  Anyway, this year a good number of the lakes were still iced over, so many plans of those dedicated fisherpeople were altered.

But today I had a chance to walk outside with my camera while the sun was shining, and was so happy to see things actually growing again!

apple tree

wild grape vine

hosta that haven't been eaten yet!

old-fashioned bleeding hearts

another variety of bleeding hearts

wild plum tree, I think

Such a welcome relief from the cold and snow! 

I have wanted to share some info on books I have recently read/listened to.  First, a series of 4 books by Richard Paul Evans.  The first in the series is The Walk, and I don't have the other 3 pictured in the correct order but you can find that out easily.  I got all of them from the library on CD's, and they were read by the author.  It is the story of a young man's journey on foot across the country, with many valuable lessons learned along the way.  It is fiction, but seemed like it could be real.  I heard about them from my brother-in-lay, John, so I thank him for pointing me in the right direction.

While I was searching the library files for The Walk, the book below also came up in the search.  It is just about the opposite of the heart-warming stories by Richard Paul Evans!

I used to read Stephen King novels regularly, but stopped at some point.  But I thought I would give this a try.  I nearly didn't finish it, because it was so grim and creepy!  A huge contrast in novels!  I wouldn't recommend it unless you are prepared for a typical Stephen King gruesome fest.

So there's some summer reading for you!