earth and earthworms

that's what the neighborhood smelled like this morning. later somewhere further south, i detected some smoky notes, perhaps from somebody burning some lawn litter illegally as they do from time to time. this would have occurred the night before; what i smelled was the moist, burned wood smell (i don't know what those compunds are, something polycyclic and aromatic, creosotes and turpenes and so on).

spring has truly taken hold, even though i know there will be some icy mornings yet. today the younger son leaves for a caribbean cruise with his grandmother and cousins. this is a trend the cousins have started (the older son went to alaska a couple of summers ago), and i suppose i approve as long as i don't have to ever go on one. i mean really. in a couple of weeks i will be going backpacking in lake superior provincial park (first trip there for me), which is way more my speed. anyway i mention it because he is for some reason being allowed to take the new digital camera with him, so my photo documentation of the emergence of spring is going to be limited somewhat - there are magnolias just ready to burst, probably today as it will be sunny and warm once again. i like spring and autumn the most because the transitions are by definition ephemeral; they cannot be sustained, you have to be in them while they are happening to know them at all. summer and winter could go on indefinitely (sort of like the tropics and the poles, respectively), but death and rebirth are what makes a circle round, if you know what i mean.

and round goes the wheel.

-:>#<:-0-:>#<:-0-:>#<:-0-:>#<:-0-:>#<:-0-:>#<:-