Day 98

Lily of the valley.  They are sprouting everywhere in the forest, right up up through the detritus of dead leaves and pine needles, their pure colour shining up to the sun.

It was much cooler today and I decided to run, chest feeling better.  I amazed myself and ran 2.56 miles (4.1km)!  Coming up Heartbreak Hill I surprised a little blue butterfly which then proceeded to flutter along right next to me for about 100m.  I was grinning like the Cheshire cat, and feeling blessed, when the thought crossed my mind that it was perhaps scolding me for disturbing it, not flying alongside me in solidarity.  Or it got caught in my slipstream.

When I got to the opossum tree, there was no opossum today, and I fervently hope she didn't become a meal last night!  It is strange how we anthropomorphise things so much.  Or not even that, just fall in love with a creature.  The moment I began observing this wild animal, it became dear to me.  As Nick said, "And you say it's your opossum, Mom, but it didn't even know!"  But I knew.  I will keeping looking out for her.  Maybe she's moved trees.

A Cooper's hawk swooped down from the tall white pine to the bird-feeder this morning, but all the birds, chipmunks and squirrels had already scattered.  It flew off looking quite bewildered, a juvenile, I think.  They are exquisite predators.

The trees are nearly all showing signs of leaves, some more than others, and several are still in the Pointillist phase, like Seurat would have painted spring, little tiny dots of colour.  My portrait today is one I often give for homework in spring, "Draw yourself with flowers instead of hair".