A great big Valentine

Friends, family, darling man.
For all those times you stood by me.
A great big flaming heart :-)
Happy Valentine's Day.

Red and white and maple-y all over

My friend R who lives a few blocks away picked me up at 6:45 this morning so we could watch the torch being carried through the streets of Maple Ridge all the way downtown, where the next torch bearer (representing the next town, Pitt Meadows) was waiting for his turn. It was a fiesta out on the streets! Everywhere you looked there were the bold Olympic red toques, jackets, mittens, scarves, and even cosy sweaters for Fifi and Fido. Red and pink balloons, lots of twinkly lights in the town square, a few TV cameras, festive firetrucks and boisterous cheering. The local MLA was guest of honour at the ceremony. It was over quick, and we drove back to our respective homes for a short nap before facing the rest of the day.

Go, Olympians, go! Go Canada.

Signs

It's looking like spring will come (has come?) early this year, though old hands are warning that we shouldn't get our hopes up, as we're probably due for some more frosts through to April. In any case the days are getting longer, which really warms my heart, and sundown yesterday was at 5:18 pm and getting later every day. Out in the yard, the white crocuses are coming out.

A few days ago H cut some forsythia branches from the front garden and stuck them in a vase that we kept in the house. Thanks to the heat, the buds literally started to swell, and yesterday the blooms started to come out.

Spring, spring, summer, I can hardly wait for you.