Soaking in spring

Today was a day of errands for me. I only had three stops I had to make, but the round trip was close to fifty miles. That is one of the serious disadvantages of living in a small rural town. My trip could have been shorter though.

I've disciplined myself to drive only for needs. This was difficult since rolling through the miles has a way of clearing my head. Today though, by altering my route just a little bit, I got to enjoy one of the advantages of living where I do, the beautiful countryside. Everything is blooming.

The pear trees are just a bit past their prime. The dogwoods are coming into theirs. The redbud trees are that shade that no other tree shares. The irises in my yard seem to have hit their peak in blossoms last week, but I still see beautiful clumps of deep purple, yellow, peach and white blooms all over the place. The azaleas are still beautiful, and so are the forsythia. It was worth the pollen up my nose and the extra 10 miles. Tonight, I'm sneezing, but I am at peace.

The painting is Farm Garden by Gustav Klimt, 1912, destroyed in 1945. Thank goodness images remain.