Spring: Are We There Yet?

Rain, rain, go away;

Come again some other day;

Mrs. Bill would like to play!

After a few sunny days last week, we are back to cold drizzly rain.  We started our new vegetable garden last week and I really, really, want to go out and play in the dirt!    Of course, as a gardener, I realize that

It isn't raining rain, you know,

It's raining violets......

However, that never was any conslolation to me.  As a child, I always longed for the promise of the freedom and fun of being outdoors in the sunshine after being pent-up in the house all winter.  I still do.

It's not that we didn't play outdoors in the winter. We did, but compared to spring and summer, it was quite limiting. Even though we had heavy snowsuits and boots, the weather in our area was often too harsh for any living thing to venture out.

I recently ran accross some paintings that brought back a few memories of that outdoor fun.  Just change the clothes from early 1900's to 1940's - we still did the same things.



Painting by John Walter

I was ten years old before I ever saw a television.  To be truthful, there wasn't  much programming of interest to children on it then.  It's only use was when we were stuck inside.

Painting by Frances Hook (d. 1983)

 Even if companions were in short supply, I still preferred to be out with the flowers, birds, and squirrels. And I still do.

Painting by Frances Hook