Sunday, May 01, 2016

Today we've had the first in a week-long stretch of mostly rainy days.  We really do need the rain, and just today we've seen the buds on trees swelling so it's really beginning to look like spring is supposed to.  The grass is getting tinges of green, too, and my  daffodils are actually in full bloom.  We've been without much snow for so long, with crazy temperature swings, spring has had a dozen false starts and never really got going, and at the same time it seems as if it's been here for months, dormant.  This is progress, though.  Tonight is a tad warmer than usual, at 40.7 degrees at 10 p.m., and no forecast of snow that I know of.

Helen Morrison asked me to mention that Steve Cobb at the Danville Inn and Restaurant did a great job on the fund raising dinner last Sunday for Kingdom Animal Shelter.  She said he provided all the entrees - a big contribution for which she thanks him very sincerely.  Steve's generosity and community spirit are very much appreciated.  

We were sorry to miss that event, not only because we like to support the KAS, but also because there's nothing better than Steve's turkey pie - unless it's his western sandwiches made with his delicious home-made bread. Actually, I've never had a meal there I didn't thoroughly enjoy.  

I haven't heard anything about celebrating May Day today.  I guess that isn't done much anymore, at least in the United States.  When I went to the Cabot Plains School, we acknowledge May Day by drawing spring pictures, usually apple blossoms with robins, or weaving little square baskets with colored craft paper. I think it was more to do with the arrival of spring and letting us kids have some time to do arts and crafts projects.  I don't recall any particular reason for the break in routine.  Probably our teacher needed a break, too.

We sometimes went on a field trip into nearby woods to find May flowers to put in the baskets - they are remarkable little flowers. They would wilt and the long stems would be all limp in our hot little hands, but we'd take them home and put them in water and the next morning they would be perky and fragrant again.  It's hard to find them now - or maybe it's just because I don't go into the woods enough anymore to know where they are, but years ago there were spots that would be carpeted with them.  We always knew exactly where to look for them in our woods. They don't last long - the ferns, grass and other flowers have to take a turn being on display.  

I think one year one teacher decided to have a Maypole to celebrate Mayday, but as I remember, that didn't work very well.  I think it rained and the crepe paper went all soggy or something.  Or maybe it snowed.  Hard to remember - it was a long time ago!

I hope you had a Happy May Day and danced around your own version of a Maypole!

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