Clan meeting

Dozens of robins are making the ground dance this morning with their scurrying here and scurrying there. It's the first full-fledged feeling of spring. Not that it's pretty, though. Around these digs when the break-up starts, we can look forward to a whole lot of ugly before the pretty returns. The mere sound of birds yakkity yakking all over the place, though, inspires a good feeling.

And, I've got extra reasons to be excited. In a couple of hours, I'm headed to the place where they promote "the bluest sky you'll ever see." Now, that claim is often open to argument, at least from the groans I've heard over the years from a lot of Seattle's residents. They get the rain, but when the sun comes out, I guess it's such an phenomenon that the sky seems bluer than blue.

Don't know if I'll see a lot of blue this weekend, but I do expect to see green in the form of grass and among costumed participants at the St. Paddy's Day run/walk in downtown Seattle. In fact, there's going to be a meeting of the Irish clan---at least part of it anyway. While my daughter Annie and my cousin's husband Drew run, I'll be walking with two cousins. My mother even gave me her Nazareth College T-shirt with Irish leprechauns on the front to wear.

I've been asked why the run/walk is this weekend rather than next, and I don't have an answer. If I find out, I'll be sure to pass that along. For now, I'll just enjoy the party.

Today I'll get to see where Annie works at Groundspeak, Inc., and tomorrow we'll be going to Port Townsend. I'm also hoping to give my dear friend Mitzi a call, now that she has her cell phone and I've got mine with her cell phone number.

While I'm having fun in Seattle, Bill will be holding down the fort with animals and housework. I have a feeling he'll enjoy the solitude without the barking wife.

I hate to leave here the day the robins show up en masse, but a person's gotta do what a person's gotta do, and it will be fun spending the next two days with my daughter and catching up on laughs and family gossip with my cousins.

So, next posting is from Seattle. Have a great day, and let's hope for blue skies wherever you are!