Signs by Susan L.

What a beautiful morning! The warming sun. A robin singing his heart out in the barren ash tree next to my driveway. The snow in the shady back yard is diminishing rapidly and there's more crocuses peeking out. Spring is springing. It's time to tackle the ancient apple tree that has been sorely neglected for a number of years. Lack of pruning has reduced the number of apples it produces. It needs more than a trim. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow or at least make a start. It's a big job. It's amusing watching the squirrels choose an apple in August. They hang precariously upside down and feel one apple then another making sure it is just right. They pluck the best, sit up and begin nibbling the peel only to spit it out. They're after the prize inside. The white, juicy flesh. I have no idea what species my apples are. They are one of the old breeds, softer than todays commercial apples. They're great for eating and apple sauce if I can get them harvested before the squirrels do! But, I'm ahead of myself. This elderly, gnarled and twisted tree is absolutely breath taking when it is covered in the fragrant blooms of promise. "For lo, the winter is past." Song 2:11