Happy Worm Day

Since so many people whom I know are celebrating birthdays these days, "Happy Birthday" is getting downright redundant.

So, I'll simply wish a Happy Worm Day to all celebrants today.

And, it is a HAPPY day for worms, most of them anyway.   I saw dozens this morning while walking to the barn and down the road.  

A few flat worms, mind you.  They couldn't slither away fast enough to avoid the car tires coming down South Center Valley Road.

Most worms were looking pretty pleased with their journeys from out of the ground to other places to return to the earth.

Unlike us humans who live for the sun, worms love the rain, and they're show up en masse to soak it up. 

I'm happy for the worms and the ducks and the geese.  The latter flying creatures seem to ratchet up their honkings and quackings on rainy mornings. 

While walking toward Selle Road, I even heard the flutter of heavy wings hitting the water in the neighbors' pond next door.  Sounded like a fun pool party to me.

Though the sun has gone, I feel good this morning cuz guilt has gone with it.

Seems like it takes about three days to start feeling guilt slowly creeping in once the sun starts shining in April shower month, of all times.  

It's as if dire things are surely gonna happen if this sunshine and unusually pleasant weather hang around too long. 

Old timers start talking about bad forest fire years.  Farmers start worrying that grass will not grow but hay prices sure will.  

Grasshoppers are surely gonna come.   We'll have a plague, and there'll be no huckleberries in them thar hills.  

Happy hearts of three days before----because the sun is shining and we're all so thrilled and we can do fun stuff outside that we never get to do this time of year----all the sudden after three days of sunshine, those same hearts start getting really heavy and worrying about the worms and wondering if we're ever going to see them slithering across wet grass again.

What are the horses gonna do if they actually sail through a spring with no foot-deep barnyard slop? 

Just can't have that, we start thinking.  We'd better have some rain. 

So the rain comes and stays,  and worms crawl all over,  and grass grows so high that the lawnmower belt expands from so much pressure and escapes its rollers and another repair bill drains the pocketbook and horses stand around depressed cuz they're tired of forging their way through the mud and people gripe and groan . . . but, at least, the guilt of three days of nice weather is long gone and we're all back to normal.

That's how it's supposed to be in North Idaho in the spring, and so today I'm happy to see the worms and glad it will be a while before I feel good-weather guilt again. 

I'm also really looking forward pulling out my barn boots again.   I'm even more excited about the prospects of  discovering those streaks of dried mud on the back of my clean jeans after getting out of the car. Speaking of keeping up with spring fashion,  various-sized paw patterns on my pants from waist to cuffs provide a nice muddy touch.   

Add to that the great fragrance of wet dog smell, and I'll be truly hip. 

So, Happy Worm Day to all.