Good trip

I really enjoyed my weekend in Rhode Island, and the driving was great.  No real traffic, clear roads, good book to listen to, really a nice trip.  I made good time both ways.

We had a happy time together--I got there Friday afternoon and we visited.  Liza has crocuses in bloom, daffodils and tulips coming up, and snowdrops blooming.  The grass is green, though not bright spring green yet.  Still...bare ground!

Saturday we went to the beach, to the fish market in Galilee (Champlins), got lobsters, clams and mussels, then walked on the beach a moment.  We saw eiders, which was pretty cool.  Very pretty and peaceful, hardly anyone there.  It was nice to be there without the dogs, but we didn't stay long.  Mark & I had walked the dogs in the park in the early morning.  One Easter we were walking the dogs in the park & rounded the corner to discover a crowd of people celebrating with a sunrise service.  Pretty embarrassing, since I'd just yelled to the dogs that they were assholes.  The dogs, not the people.

Then we went to the pansy place to get our flowers.  They didn't seem to have as many colors this year as they usually do, but we picked out some nice ones.  It's always so nice to see flowers blooming.  I picked out my pansies, which have been indoors since I got back.  Still too cold at night for the little darlings.

Sat out on the deck in warm sunshine in the afternoon, which has become an Easter tradition.

We had our lobsters, etc. for dinner that night.  Yum.  Lobsters from cold water are really delicious.  Tiny clams, delicious mussels.

Easter Sunday was great--our nice breakfast of fresh bagels with lox.  We like to celebrate.  Mark gave me a beautiful tiny oil painting of a RI water scene and I gave him a small basket.  We try to talk him out of giving Easter presents but he just won't listen.  We spent a quiet day, read the paper, visited, and went to the town beach.  Nice beach walk with very few people there.  Liza sat in her chair and admired the calm and beautiful ocean.  There were loons in winter plumage on the water.

I cooked lamb for Easter dinner.  I don't really care for lamb but take it to RI for Liza and Mark.  They eat a lot of chicken so I think this is a nice change.  But maybe they don't like it and are just being polite...  Anyway, the lamb was good, tender and tasted like lamb.

Back to work on Tuesday, uneventful and busy day.  Wednesday I spent in Keene Valley, which was great.  I'm cataloging the books in their archives, which is a huge project.  They have a lot of books.  It's fun and I enjoy being in that library.  The director is a good friend and we work well together.  Their archives are amazing--two rooms full of photographs (cataloged), books, files, etc.  Nice and bright, a good place to spend time.

Tuesday night there was something terribly wrong with Tess--she could barely move, and wouldn't walk much.  Whined when she tried.  Very scary.  I pumped her full of aspirin and hoped for the best.  Weds. she was better, and by yesterday she was almost back to normal.  Whew.  This was very upsetting for me, to have her ailing.  It reminded me that she's 11 and no longer a young dog.

What's up for the weekend?  Dump run, probably.  Plant pansies.  Laundry.  Visit with Pat & Jim.  Talk to Lin.  Relax.  I have a movie to watch (something of the Southern Wild, I forget the title) and books to read.  I'm listening to Kent Haruf's latest book (Benediction), which is excellent.  Good reader and good book.  I need to start our book group book--The round house, by Erdrich.  I have soooo many books to read!