Evening brings such peace after a busy, bustling day. Discovering the budding life of spring, I walked around in awe last night. Our calf has decided that alfalfa is pretty good stuff- she eats a bit and drops into a heap as if exhausted from the effort of chewing.

Most of our fruit trees are blooming, making this the first year for the apple trees and including: pear, peach, crab apple, wild plum and choke cherry. We’ll have no cherries this year as all five trees have died. Apparently, Montmorency are not hardy enough to withstand the bitter cold spells we had in the fall and winter. Last summer was our first really good cherry harvest, so this was a big disappointment. I’m hopeful for the almond trees and the hazelnut- neither are showing any signs of life yet. If the wind cooperates and gives a bit of a break, I should be churning out the choke cherry jelly with relish!

Walking out in our trees, the sweet smell of the lilacs takes me back to 105th street in Omaha. I’d walk up that hill from our house; I don’t remember the name of the street, but Jimmy Mendenhall lived on it. 🙂 One house was hidden by thick lilac bushes with three different colors of blooms. I’d walk by it going to and from Oakdale Elementary School and any time I smell lilacs now, I’m right back on that street.

The wild plums bloomed a while back and are fixin’ to begin the transition to fruit. It looks like snow settled on them and forgot to melt. The stillness of this evening seeps into the soul and spirit, a healing balm to the buzzing throng of day. God topped it off with a most beautiful setting sun. Blessing.