red wing sing

As Brad Pitt says in Interview with a Vampire, "That morning I was not yet a vampire, but I saw my last sunrise."  I haven't been bitten by one of the undead, but I am an unfortunate victim of Daylight Savings Time.  Saturday's gorgeous sunrise was the last one I'll see...for a while.

Now it's pitch dark when I go to the gym at 5:30 a.m. and pitch dark when I leave an hour or so later.  It's too bad, but in about a month we'll gain enough sunlight for me to start seeing these beauties again.  Meanwhile, I'll have to content myself with later-morning shots.

Spring is definitely coming.  Buds are popping out on trees all over...

...and patches of green grass for Borga to nibble on.

Ah, a nice shake in the sun!

Bulbs are shooting up everywhere.  I can't wait to see what happens after this week's warm spell!

I'm just too distracted to take notice of most of what's happening around me.  We're under contract to buy a farm just north of town, and everything seems so precarious as we fumble through inspection negotiations.  I don't want to post too much about it because it's not (yet!) our farm, but I did get a couple of pretty shots of the 2 ponds on the property.  A small one in front, but still big enough for paddle boating:

And a multi-acre pond at the back of the property: quiet, isolated, and perfect for a small reading bench or a quick jaunt with our kayaks.

I try not to get to emotionally attached to the property, but I'm already tossing around names.  One thing that struck me immediately at our first viewing was the noisy chatter of birds.  The farm is out in the country and surrounded by other farms, and it's gloriously private and still.  Except for the birds!  Sparrow, woodpeckers, chickadees, and the loudest of all:  red-wing blackbirds.  I'm especially fond of them because there are so many at Eagle Creek, my favorite place to hike.  Seeing them perch on the reeds around the front pond, preening in the sun and singing, seemed like a good omen.  Now I'm thinking, Blackbird Acres?  Little Blackbird Farm?  No, those aren't quite right.  I'm sure that the right one will come.  The house has a long front porch that overlooks the pond.  After nine months in a temporary apartment, I can't imagine being able to sit outside without hearing loud music, pounding basketballs, screaming kids, blaring T.Vs., and revving engines.  It will just be us and the blackbirds.  Heavenly.

Hopefully next week will bring some positive news!