Signs of Spring

Last fall I planted some grass seed over an area that we had covered with fresh earth. None of the seed had sprouted before the snow came and I assumed that I had just wasted the money spent on it, but this morning I saw that it has sprouted and even grown under the snow. A good start to spring!

I heard my first robin this morning and saw geese yesterday and today. The flock of redpolls is still coming to the feeder and enjoying the seed I throw on the ground. Most days there are around 50 of them. I have never had so many and never had them stay so long. I'm wondering when they'll be heading north .

Our truck-driver son is on his first long-long haul. So far they have travelled to Florida, up to Ohio, and now are on their way to Alberta. It certainly is the grand tour.

We watched a show on the Irish emigration last night. Apparently half of all Ontarians have Irish blood in them. In the Laurentians where I grew up, most of the families that weren't French were of Irish descent. On the show, one family was describing how whole villages of Irish people resettled together in Canada much as the Scottish people did in Glengarry. The English , on the other hand, didn't seem to do that which makes those of us of English background feel at times rootless in Canada. Perhaps the English were never very good at community which is why they were always travelling around to distant places expanding the Empire. My mother was telling me the other day that one of my British aunts was sent to boarding school when she was 5 years old. It seems so cold and unnatural to send your little ones away at such a young age.Not surprisingly, she never had a close relationship with her natural family and adopted her husband's family (our family) as her real family.