While excitedly waiting for the big snow storm...

that isn't going to arrive here after all, we got a surprising break from the cold weather. It was a small preview of spring.Nicolas and Gillen were inspired to go out and do yard work. Here they are pruning the grape arbor.
(If you look very closely to the right of Nicolas' head you can see the Confederate flag - one of two- that hang boldly from the home across the street. This flag is one of many reasons for our tall Poplar tree, our untrimmed giant Azalea bushes and our full grape vines that create obstacles, when they are in season, to the view of our neighbors. )

Ground was re-broken, around the beautiful thriving onion trees from Sandra, for a future Spring bed of vegetables. There will be many more beds this year, in our backyard farm. I want in on the action too.
The biggest sign of spring around here - the daffodils:

Last night, I was sitting with my laptop in the living room thinking about doing some writing but really just exploring facebook when Jesse walked in and sat down next to me.

"Do you want to write something and I'll type it up for you?" I asked, having neglected to do this for a few years now. He used to write great stories this way. But he writes plenty on his own. As much as I like to think I inspire them to do things, Gillen and Jesse do find all kinds of inspiration on their own - like this morning when I found Jesse writing a letter to a panda we know in Australia. It is difficult for Rosalinafini to write to her sister Louisafini with such big paws (not to mention new glasses) so she asked Jesse to write the letter for her.
Though it is good that I don't suggest too often (with my kids, this can be a way to get them to leave the room) I am glad that I asked last night. Here is part of what he wrote:

Candles flickered in the dim light of May. All was quiet. The children were fast asleep. The flowers whistled in the moonlight. The dog paced back and forth. A single light was lit in the kitchen...

And indeed, the flowers must have whistled in the moonlight because we seem to have woken up to a unexpected day from May. Nice. Though we'd still like one snow storm.