SEASONS: Welcome spring!

After the weird winter we've had, I was delighted to see the green skunk cabbage leaves poking their heads up in a swampy place I often walk past. Lured by the warmth, stinkbugs are emerging from wherever they secreted themselves in the house over the winter. And on Saturday, I heard peepers, those wonderful harbingers of spring, for the first time!
The early daffodils and crocus were "sapped" by the cold and snow, and the flowers on the magnolia tree at Kennett Friends Meeting got nipped by the cold, turning the edges brown. I'm hoping more daffodils will be coming into bloom soon.
Some years back I created a ritual of burning my Christmas wreath on the first day of spring outside on the back deck. This year was a little different: my back door was snowed shut. Not only did we have to clear the deck, we even had to dig the wreath out of the snow. A fair amount of newspaper was needed to get it burning.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: Scope of practice

Overheard Wednesday at the eye doctor's office in Willowdale:
Patient: "These glasses don't fit right. I think my head is crooked."
Optician: "I can only fix the glasses."

CREATURES: A venue of vultures

As important as they are in the circle of life, I've always considered vultures to be disagreeable creatures in a memento mori ("remember, you must die") kind of way. But the other day I drove past a group of them were sitting peacefully on a fence along Upland Road with their wings outstretched, basking in the sun and warmth. It was actually an enchanting sight. I suppose even scavengers need to get their vitamin D.

LONGWOOD: Don't miss the Orchid Show

Longwood Gardens' Orchid Extravaganza closes March 31, and you'll be sorry if you don't stop by. The gardeners at Longwood have placed masses of orchids throughout the conservatory: climbing the trunks of the palm trees, for instance, and adding brilliant color to the silver garden, among many other places. As always, it was fun to watch the families from around the world enjoying the gardens: surrounded by fabulous flowers, one boy focused just on jumping into a puddle. I overheard one father, upon entering the Children's Garden, tell his offspring, "This is where they grow children!"
There were a lot of serious photographers toting lots of gear, and we kept running into a couple getting their engagement photos taken.
We are very much looking forward to seeing the Spring Bulbs display next -- when the snow melts, that is. According to the winter mailing we received, this year's display will include nearly a quarter-million tulips.

MUSICAL: Step in Time

After the curtain came down on Unionville High School's production of "Mary Poppins," I turned to my date and said, "So how am I supposed to describe this?" What a wonderfully entertaining show, with terrific performances, spectacular production numbers, and jaw-dropping special effects.
The leads were Karalyn Joseph as Mary (she played Fiona in last year's musical, Shrek) and Adam Kimmel as Bert (unbelievably, this was his stage debut; he formerly played in the pit orchestra).
All of the actors and dancers are so talented, and based on the polished performances by Patton Middle Schoolers Kaeli Kaymak-Loveless and Bobby Mozzani as Jane and Michael Banks, UHS musical theater has a bright future.
We even got to say hi to canine star Willoughby during intermission.
I urge you to watch a couple of clips from the show and from rehearsals on YouTube.