Last Monday in April

Shadows on the barn door by J. Binford-Bell

Tomorrow is May 1st. We used to do May baskets when I was a kid. We worked for days doing them for all the neighbors and then took off early May Day morning to deposit one on each stoop or porch or door knob.

Per Wiki: May Day is  related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November q, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various Northern European pagan traditions.


The end of April seems to be officially the end of the doldrums of winter and the Mud and Flood season of the highlands here. Many of the locals escape if they can and I end up with a lot of pet sitting and property watching jobs. May the locals begin to return from extended vacations. And those that own second homes here come back from Mexico or Phoenix to get their homes cleaned up and prepared for the Memorial Day weekend and the summer rental season. 


May is when you are likely to run into old friends at the market and the post office; friends you have not seen all winter. Not all of them have been away. I do think winter brings out the bear in some of us. Now is when we poke out a nose and test the air. Yard and garage sales erupt, ads for summer employment appear, trucks for window washing services dot the back roads.


Magique by the Magic Pond by J. Binford-Bell


The ice is off the local lakes and boats are being hauled to Eagle Nest Lake to test the fishing. Hope springs eternal like spring. The weather is warm enough for a good hike but not so warm that you can leave the hoodie home. Layering is more than a fashion statement. And keep the camera near because the elk are down from the high meadows and looking for the first tender green grass to fatten up on before calving.


What did you say?


They are not exactly pretty just now as they are getting ready to shed the winter hair. But they don't seem too concerned about cameras either, so they almost seem to pose.


Happy May Day everyone.

Comments

  1. Ien in the KootenaysMay 16, 2012 at 2:41 PM

    Great special effect picture. Must keep better track of your blog. So busy outside right now...

    ReplyDelete

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