Coquettish spring

Spring has sprung, at last.

Although flowers have been blooming for more than a month, the trees are just now sprouting leaves. Temperatures during the day are warming into the upper 50s, which in Scotland means coats are off and some folks are even wearing shorts. Four of our last five days have had sunshine for most or all of the day — and daylight lasts more than 14 hours.

I shouldn't say spring has sprung. That implies it's suddenly springlike, which isn't right. Springtime here is a slow burn, teasing, tempting, flashing a smile and demurely lowering her eyes. Spring has been tantalizing us, seducing us, for weeks now. Until the last few days, she's mostly been raising her petticoat and exposing her ankles. Now, it seems, she's ready for her miniskirt.

Kelvingrove Museum on Monday.

Accordingly, we've been spending a lot more time outdoors. Long walks with the dog, multiple daily visits to playgrounds, kicking footballs {Ed.'s note: that's "soccer balls" to you 'Muricans}, in and out of the backyard twenty or thirty times per afternoon. Other folks are behaving similarly; parks and playgrounds are overrun.

Jack and I weren't the only ones who thought it would be a nice day to visit the park.

This past weekend we spent a couple of hours at the veterinary school's annual "rodeo," an event for the public to come onto its grounds for animal performances, charity tents, pony rides, animal rescue groups, petting zoos, and so on. Which animal did Jackson like best, the horses, dogs, ferrets, birds, rats, or alpacas? The guy in a horse costume, of course.

Not pleased by the crowd of onlookers.

Your favorite one? Really?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our local swans on the Forth & Clyde canal. Kate's excellent walk to work research reveals the momma swan has nine — nine! — eggs for this clutch.

That's a whole lotta eggs.

Our upcoming docket is getting crowded. If the weather stays nice and we've got energy, we plan to take a day trip this Friday to the nearby Isle of Bute. Two weeks from today, my parents will arrive for a three week visit, during which time we'll all make a trip to Paris. And a few weeks after they leave one of Kate's sisters, Rachel, and her family will arrive for a visit.

Our chilly spring probably seems amusing to those of you in warmer climes. I've been hearing about temperatures on the East Coast of the States this week in the 80s Fahrenheit. It's all about your perspective. Here's Jackson yesterday evening, with the temperature in the upper 40s:

Spring construction has begun.

Your spring, apparently, is a harlot. Ours, a coquette.