random thoughts – Day 1,844 – (Friday) – springing up

Spring finery is
popping up.

It was in the mid-60s and sunny when I took a walk downtown, and I was comfortable in a light-ish trench coat. There were new pop-up shops and windows covered in brown paper with "coming soon" signs. Next to the newly opened Lazy Cat Lounge Cafe, a nail salon is outfitted with a wall of pink and white fabric flowers and displays of nail polish. A white sign lettered in red posted near the door declared "Nail Salon Coming Soon." Restaurant names I didn't recognize were scattered in the area. It's good to see shops and restaurants opening.

In addition to the new shops, there was an array of attire on display downtown. The warmer weather inspired many people to shed the winter coats and don sweatshirts, jeans, jackets of all weights, tee shirts with no jackets, and lightweight summery floral and patterned dresses and sandals. 

I was behind one such bright and breezy dress and sandals outfit for a full block and it made me wish I was back in Mexico at a beach resort wearing my own floaty dress, but no luck. I was soon back in the office shivering in the very unspring-like arctic environment as the cooling system enthusiastically blasted chilled air. Despite my wearing an indoor-appropriate blouse and sweater and pushing the setting up to 80 degrees, I was cold nearly all day.

Tree with buds.

Later, as I headed to the car in my trench coat, a woman in a tangerine-colored sleeveless dress and flip flops unloaded groceries from the trunk into a wagon with a companion in jeans and a tee shirt. I felt like a dork in my coat but at least I wasn’t freezing.

At home and preparing supper, looking out the window over the sink, I noticed the tree in the back yard neighbor’s yard. The branches that were bare earlier this week were loaded with red buds that will eventually be leaves. Green shoots are poking through the ground where the irises and lilies live, and maroon shoots where the Bleeding Heart is near the front door. Is suddenly seems that spring is here.