Field Frolic and Pedal Pushing

Ah, true spring has sprung! We have three suns on the forecast over the next five days and two days with the mixture of sun and clouds.   

No raindrops!  I like. 

We're ready for drying out time here in Selle.  We've received more than enough moisture over the past several weeks.  That rain has helped green things up just in time for St. Patrick's Day and a little earlier than usual. 

I'm hoping that the ground will dry out enough for a few days without doggie baths for Foster and Liam. 

Liam has made the ritual easy, though.  He likes his baths and one of these days I would like to shoot a video of his enthusiastic approach to daily baths. 

I run the bath water, making sure it's a perfect temperature for Border Collie paws. After setting out towels, I go to the garage and tell Liam it's bath time. Once the door to the main house opens, Liam happily prances through it, takes a quick left and parades toward the tub.  

He may look at it a couple of times but jumps in and stands while I massage his feet, legs, tummy and tail with a wash cloth. 

When bath is over, Liam waits until I stand up, then carefully jumps out of the tub onto the towel. 

Then, the fun begins as Mom throws that big warm towel over his body and begins the drying process.  Liam especially enjoys that part of daily baths. 

As for Foster, he does his daily bath in the laundry room sink, and he's every bit as cooperative as Liam, who loves to watch every single second of Foster's bathing and dry-off routine.

Having to bathe those muddy pups on a daily basis is not my favorite chore, but their cooperation and obvious joy at being bathed actually makes it fun. 

Over the past couple of weeks, the dogs have been going to the hay field a few times each day.  With its rolling hills, they can frolick and race around in relatively dry conditions.  

And, in my mind, there's nothing more beautiful than these kinds of dogs racing across a farm field.  The nice part:  it's just gonna get prettier as the grass grows and continues turn greener and greener. 

On another note, the Daylight Savings Time change took on a positive note last night as the clouds went away and we had a true sense of more light in the evening. 

That and a meeting with a maker inspired a bike ride through downtown Selle after dinner. 

My meeting with the "maker" actually occurred at Monday night's Native American program when I visited with Dave Parkins for the first time in a number of years.

A pink bike was mentioned in the conversation.  

David rebuilt my mountain bike while working at Alpine Designs bike shop several years ago. I had taken it in for repairs, and while there, the owner Toby Feuling suggested that it be rebuilt.  He quoted me a very fair price, so I gave him the green light. 

When the bike was just about ready to be sent home, Toby called me about its color (PINK), telling me that they had not been able to find a perfect match for the original color and explaining that they mixed up some paint which would come close, naming it "Marianne Pink."  

So, over the years, I've been quite proud to ride my bike with its unique color.  After seeing David, I figured it was time to bring it out for another year of pedaling around the neighborhood. 

Our daylight isn't lasting that long, so my trip was somewhat abbreviated (which is good for an old body loosening up for the first time in the spring). 

The route took me basically through the old "downtown Selle" and about a mile further.  Darkness was setting in so I headed back, but not before snapping a few photos. 

The essence of spring really manifested itself in that brief bike ride as noisy geese flew over and the crisp but oh-so-refreshing evening air felt so good.

There's a feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration with each year's first bike adventure, especially when living in Selle.  

I feel reborn and excited to know that nights like these will steer me away from the couch and into more uplifting physical and mental activity. 

So, it goes.  One day before the big Irish holiday.  Life is good in Selle and getting better every minute. 

Welcome, Spring.  Happy Wednesday.