I got my staples out! Do you call it "removed" when you're having them taken out of your body? Anyway, my body is now free of the piercings that come with surgery, and I will no longer wince when I bump into things, or when the dogs step on me in the 4 places that were pierced. I'm not interested in body piercings beyond the 4 holes I have in my ears.

Spring is here. The greens are obscene. I love them. My favorite is Poplar Green. The leaves are a color that cannot be duplicated. It is a wonderful, bright, optimistic green that is full of charm, hope, and good cheer. I sleep with my window open. I woke at 3 this morning and heard noises I couldn't identify,and was finally reassured by the fact that my window was open so they were Noises of the Forest (as opposed to Noises of the House) so it didn't matter what sounds they were. The Little Dog kept going under the covers, too hot, then out from under them, too cool, then back under, then on top, ad nauseum. I dreamed a total plot of Law and Order, which I was watching in my dream. Too bad I didn't write it down and turn it into a screenplay. Restless night but I got up in time to take a shower and get to work 10 minutes early. College graduation was Sat. so there is now much less traffic (though I hesitate to call what I deal with en route to Plattsburgh "traffic"). I do enjoy, savor and look forward to this time of year.

My next writing project is an article for the shoreowners' association's newsletter, based on an interview with Ken, about the father of the man who now does Ken's taxes. A Lebanese immigrant, Mike George started his retail business selling pencils from a baby carriage which he wheeled around AuSable Forks. Eventually he had a thriving business selling all sorts of goods from a horse-drawn wagon, with a route that stretched from AuSable Forks to Loon Lake, a route that took him 3 days to cover. Everyone (including Ken's mother) would wait for Mike to bring the goods they needed--things like fabric and sewing supplies, clothes, office supplies, the list is incredible. When his wagon was empty he would return to the Forks to fill it again. The way Ken tells it he was only home 1 or 2 days a week, but he had at least 5 children so I'm not sure that's really true. Anyway, I love these details and will record Ken going over the details this week so I can write it up. People could request specific items and Mike would bring them the next time he came. I love the fact that Ken remembers this and that this happened on the road I drive on every time I leave my dirt road. There are so many things like this that Ken tells me about, but we talk less about the old days and mostly about current events, events of the day, etc. Our relationship is not based on the past but rather on the present and the future.

My weekend was good. Yesterday was not good, but Saturday made up for that. I took Ken to the doctor for his follow-up visit (Friday I took him to Plattsburgh for cataract surgery) in Plattsburgh. The results of his surgery have been really good, much to my relief. I know too many people who did not have good results of cataract surgery, and given his age I was fearful. He's very pleased with how well he can see now, though. After the doctor's appointment we went to AuSable so he could get his mail and some groceries. I did the shopping while he visited with his crones in the store. What a funny man. I saw 2 people I knew, including Jackson's former owner. Then I went home, collected my garbage and recyclables and went to the dump: another very satisfying experience.

I picked Lin up and we went plant shopping, the first major pilgrimage of the season. We went to our usual haunt, but they've raised their prices this year. I still bought a ton of stuff and spent lots of money. Mostly annuals for my containers, but nothing dramatic, just the filler stuff. Petunias, alyssum, portulaca, asters, and my favorite geranium, Vancouver Centennial. I have a 4-year old plant of this, which is very leggy and not attractive. My new plant is squat and plush. I will put the new one next to the old one for inspiration. We went to a second place, where the prices were lower and the plants were great. This place is not always good so were were really pleased. I got great snapdragons, the really tall kind I like to have a bunch of, some cosmos (including white ones) and some really beautiful Martha Washington geraniums. Really beautiful. Lucky Martha, she got to have the most exotic and truly gorgeous geraniums named after her. I've also bought 3 kinds of pinks (dianthus), which are perennials. I used to have a huge patch of these and they smelled like cinnamon. I neglected them, however, and they got too crowded and died. The new ones will be treated with respect and hopefully will flourish.

My daffodils look wonderful this year. We had 2 days that were warm enough to lure nearly all of my plants into blooming last week. I have different varieties of daffodils, those that bloom in early, middle and late spring. They are nearly all blooming now. From dark yellow to nearly white, some fragrant. Tiny ones only 6" high to big ones. I like them and will plant more in the few spaces along my walls where there are none. Or so I think right now. Fall is when you plant them. This week I will go to the cemetery to admire Jenica's planting on Henry's grave.

And now I will be productive in the ways which I am paid for. Cataloging things for Schroon Lake. Worthless videos and horrible books.