Andrea Doughtie, Rural Painter

So–snow a few days ago but the first of May was perfect for a celebration on the village green.  Ed (wearing air boot) and several other musicians provided music.  There were morris dancers and picnic fare, a May queen arriving by carriage.  People were dressed for spring and everybody was so happy to be out in the sunshine.  Later in the day we enjoyed a concert of madrigals in the community bldg.  Then Ed and I had a gin and tonic on the porch   In Houston we hardly noticed spring since it was so warm most of the year.  Here it’s a big deal. 

Note:  This post was supposed to appear at the beginning of May but being the technoklutz that I am I inadvertently stuck it in an old abandoned drawing blog where it has languished.  Ed has recently gotten rid of the boot and now walks mostly without even a cane. 

We’ve been bringing in the bird feeder at night and putting it back up early each morning when the birds start perching on the pole and looking expectant. (I can’t enjoy my breakfast if they’re out they’re waiting for seed.) Anyway, yesterday we were gone most of the day and returned to see the feeder on the ground and the suet cake gone. Sorry that we had missed a photo op we were sitting around the kitchen table when a black bear appeared just outside the window, sniffing around on the ground for more seed. We both grabbed cameras and got several shots before I opened the window and yelled to scare it off. As exciting as it was to see a wild creature we *don’t* want it hanging out around the house. It was so plush and shiny, with such a sweet expression I wanted to dash out and hug it. Surprisingly we don’t see a lot of wildlife up here surrounded by the woods but when we do it always feels like a gift.