Stormy weather

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.

William Arthur Ward

The slow motion catastrophe across the ocean helps put the trivial into perspective. Trivial, as in having to get up an hour early. Or complaining about the weather. We have had a cold, wet winter-- one storm after the other rolling in off the Pacific like the bad news from Japan. Halfway through March, and Seattle has already had more rain that we typically get for the entire month (and that's saying something.) But it's great for the plants sending out new roots, and things are happening underground and above. When the sun finally comes out, the flowers will be glorious. Sunday is the first day of spring.

Between rainstorms yesterday, I pulled a marathon out in the garden and my back is reminding me this morning. It was worth it-- I planted 60 glads and 18 of the big fragrant lilies John can't get enough of. They're finicky to grow and peter out after a few years, but beautiful for a couple weeks in August. It's good I finally got them in the ground because they were on the verge of molding in the damp shed. Ditto for the begonia tubers which survived another winter of neglect out there.
Just looking at the packages makes a person feel hopeful.