The darling buds of May

We've had rough weather in the northwest this week-- unseasonably cold and stormy in Seattle, with snow in the mountains. Amanda and Nova left on Tuesday afternoon and were safely home by evening. That morning, the mountain passes were under winter storm watch, and the North Cascades Highway was closed again. But later in the day, the snow was slushy and the roads bare on Snoqualmie Pass. Who wants to look at gray, snowy mountain scenery in May? Anyway, the trip takes about five hours-- near home, Nova cried for one of them. I'm sure that was a very long hour for Amanda.

I work at the museum library most Tuesday afternoons, so on their way out of town we stopped together to see the exhibits at MOHAI. I carried Nova around in my arms, looking at many interesting things. Her favorites were the stuffed cougar (big kitty) and poor old Bobo the gorilla in a glass case. She was also fascinated by the groups of school kids, and you could see her brain working overtime: soon I'll be running around like that!

We had a wonderful weekend visit-- sure, the house is clean again, but way too dull and quiet without baby noise and toys everywhere. Nova seemed to change and grow right before our eyes.

Shakespeare's sonnet #18 has that famous phrase "the darling buds of May." It refers to the May tree or hawthorn. But no matter-- it makes me think of beautiful children and the month of May. The sonnet is about the freshness and anticipation of youth.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date...