Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Did the Easter bunny bring lots of chocolate? He has passed by our house for many years now - perhaps because we have hunting dogs! Or maybe I cooked him as the main course one year (Cynthia and I roasted a rabbit with wild rice stuffing one Easter). Still, a few Easter crème eggs would have been good!

We didn't have any plans for the day so we drove down to the St. Lawrence for brunch, and then wandered around the flea market for a while. Many people had the same idea as us - it was packed. The sun was out, but it was windy and just hovering around 0C - good for inside activities but not for standing around outside.

Spike has been brushing up on a few of his tricks. Ages ago we started weaving through through my legs as I walk but since we review it sporadically it is coming slowly. I may not be raising the criteria fast enough, or he's afraid I'll step on him. He is very cognizant of his personal safety. He is also relearning 'bring tissue' which he could do at work with the tissue box at a fixed location. At home he has to jump up on the futon to get at the box - he's learning and can now do it with me 5 feet away.

Thursday was the first day for being outside with just shirtsleeves. It was glorious! The air was alive with the sound of birdsong. I had Carm drag out a comfy chair so I could sit in the sun, and once I had soaked up enough rays we started on some simple yard work. When we were done I thought I'd see if Spike could find a dropped glove all the way around the back of the house and out near the brush pile. I had to walk behind him for the first 1/2 till he remembered to use his nose, then when I was 30 or 40 feet out I let him complete the search. Since I was standing on a little hill I had a good view of him following my trail and then bang - he had it in his mouth and was running up the hill to give it to me. He was so proud of himself and pranced around in circles after he got his treat. When he looks up at me with that 'what next' look I melt.

According to the calendar we could be out on our first camping trip in a month!!!

There seems to be a million different sneaker/runner/hiking shoe choices and I tried every single one on Saturday. Some shoes let me know right away that they aren't right, while others are more subtle. But not only does fit need to be taken into consideration, but style is a big question as well. The new shoe is for camping so I had to decide what the primary requirements are. I only bring 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of sandals, and one pair of rubber boots so the shoe has to be multi-functional. In the end, I passed over the lighter runner type shoe for a heavier and sturdier hiking shoe. I have them home and will wear them around the house for a day to make sure they are 'Mr. Right'.

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself. ~Ernest Hemingway