BLOSSOMS, BOOTS & BYE BYE WINTER

I was looking through some of my pictures today to find a new one for my Facebook cover photo, and this one turned up - almond tree in bloom in France, in the Pyrenees - where we go for our mountain hikes. Mont Canigou is visible in the background, still snow capped. But this photo was taken in February! We have to wait another month here in southern Norway to behold similar sights. And they won't be almond blossoms, but apple, pear and cherry.

The last week or so has been sunny and warm here, with the exception of a few days in between, but I did spot a stripe of snow today! It was in a shaded area, but still!

The long cold winter this year has not agreed with my boot collection. The ice and snow are totally incompatible with high heels - it's simply asking for trouble. Broken bones, enormous bruises, twisted ankles. (I got a bruise slipping on the ice last year that was the whole size of one my, well... buttocks... and it turned all the colours of the rainbow during the six weeks it hung in there). This year the weather suddenly went from freezing cold and icy to warm and snow-free. So there was no time in between for all my high-heeled boots! I dug out a pair of blue ones today though, complete with almond blossoms, but it's really too warm already to wear boots. Well, if I have to choose between boot-weather and shoe-weather, I know which one I prefer!

Spring is also the time for clearing out stuff and driving off to the dump - for everyone, but especially for us this year. My husband's been cutting branches and stuffing them into plastic bags, Sophie's been rearranging all the spare bedrooms and throwing away a lot in the process. Her efforts inspire me too, so I've been assisting her and getting rid of a few things myself. She's really been working hard, and today she's practically finished a make-over of one bedroom into an office for her Dad, now that he doesn't have an outside one any more. Perhaps it's ready for a photo session tomorrow!

I think this poem may be my tribute to spring... I don't know. Or is it a straightforward love poem? Both?

Yes, Spring! Sun-kiss me!