Odds and Ends

I completed the book I mentioned in my last post. I have a very fine set of books on Christian history and enjoyed reading about the Crusades, the rise of Islam, and the Mongol Empire. What is very clear is that the timely death of one of Genghis Khan's heirs, his son Ogedei, changed the entire history of the world. The "Golden Horde", as his armies were known as, was spreading toward western Europe after conquering Hungary and Russsia, and were unchallenged in their next quest to "run to the sea". They would have held all of Europe and the Renaissance, the industrial revolution, etc. would never have happened. In fact, we would probably all be speaking a dialect of Chinese. But Ogedei's death necessitated the return of the Princes of the Empire from the battle fields to take care of things back home where there was an internal struggle for the title of Khan. I am finding it fascinating reading as I have now consumed all four of Conn Iggulden's books on the Khan Dynasty.

Like most other Canuck fans, I am counting down the hours to game time. Forty years of being an avid follower of the team, and a lover of hockey in general, will culminate in the following weeks as we head into the Stanley Cup finals. I make no apologies for revolving my life around hockey for the next little while. This may not happen again in my lifetime.

Shopping in the Costco in Bellingham, we were surrounded, at the checkout, by carts containing twenty or more gallons of milk. Again, stopping at Ed and Eileen's dairy on the way home, for the mandatory chocolate soft serve, we encountered shopping carts piled high with milk. There is a certain ethnicity that is milk crazy. What do they do with all that milk, besides make their sweet tea with it? If cows were allowed in back yards in our town, like chickens are allowed in back yards in Vancouver, we would be over run with mini dairy farms. 

Our 'mail in' Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) referendum is soon upon us, just in time to be delayed by a postal strike. Will the reduction to 10% be enough to save the tax? I have maintained from day one that if they had combined the taxes (PST and GST) and then dropped it 2%, it would have been an easier sell. It would then have approached revenue neutral and the politicians would not have been seen as the liars they are. In the end, we do not want a socialist government in this province, no matter what we call the tax or at what % it is.

My computer is doing hateful things to me. What did I do to deserve all the 'freezing and re-booting'? It was completely re-formatted about a month ago, and was working better than ever. Now, not so much. There are no virus issues, RAM or ROM issues, nor have I been tapping it with my sledge hammer, although I have come close. Technology is changing every five minutes and I would not even know what to get to replace what I have. I just know that it is inevitable.       

Shopping and Stuff

It is rare that busylizzy and I have a coincidental day off work. So much so, that we do not know how to handle it. Sad, but true. So, we agreed to head to the US of A on Saturday to help stimulate their economy. With passports in hand, we headed for the border and were surprised at the short line-up. The border guards are always very nosey and have to know what we are going to do while we are in their impoverished country. I blurted it out. "Fabric shopping". With a look of great empathy, he handed back the documents and stated that I was not too happy about it. I did not know my face read like a book. I can only assume he has at one time endured the same fate. 

It was warm and peaceful in the car, as I dug out my book and quite enjoyed the uninterrupted time to read. I am on the fourth installment of Conn Iggulden's epic story of the Khan Dynasty. After the fabric was chosen and purchased, we had a very late lunch at Applebee's. We had some issues with the food and wondered why we went there. Maybe because it was right behind our parking spot. Driving in Bellingham on a Saturday is not fun. 

Then we hit a bunch of stores, searching out, of all things, chair pillows. Six places later, no pillows, but we had dropped some money at Costco and Home Depot. Consumer spending may be down in the USA, but not in Bellingham. The stores, including Bellis Fair Shopping Center, were wall to wall people. But a quick check of the license plates in the parking lots told the truth of it. We were not the only Canadians helping out the American Economy.  

Seven Years Ago

It is seven years ago this spring that this photo was taken. It was a few years previous, that we were in Mexico, having a lovely sunset dinner, when busylizzy pushed back her chair to return to the buffet and promptly bumped into a stranger. Being a proper English gentleman, he took responsibility and what ensued was a friendly battle to determine who was most apologetic. After coming to a truce, introductions were made and thus was the beginning of a wonderful and lasting friendship. Their visit to Canada a few years later was a highlight for us as we got to show them around the province a bit. When our invitations to the Royal Wedding were lost in the mail last month, we postponed our visit to London, but are still planning to do it. We are not yet retired, as they are, so it presents a few challenges, but we will get there. I just need to dig out a few old photos to remind me of how important this will be.  

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Garage Sale: The Sequel

The weather was cool today but at least the rain held off as we opened for another day of business. Ken was up bright and early to post the signs but because it was a long weekend and a holiday Monday, there was almost no traffic and the customers came very slowly at first.

It was a chance for me to snap a few photos with few people and no rain on my lens. The carport contained it all except for a few extra items that Delores brought.

One thing she brought, which kept four of us busy for an hour, was a huge box of pennies. We had several bags of coin wrappers and went to it. Six thousand pennies later, we were done and it added another $60 to our kitty. Thanks, Delores.

Who was going to buy our picked over leftovers?

We slashed prices and made deals nobody could refuse. We increased the size of our 'free' pile.

The mountain of crystal we had just was not selling well. The beautiful figurines that were once somebodies pride and joy, were sitting, lonely and unloved.

Who could not give this beauty a new home? Her sister, behind her, was equally perplexed.

These beauties were left right to the end, as were the twin angels below. Has everyone abandoned the aesthetic for the practical?

At the end of the day, we had made an extra $300.00 and had eliminated quite a bit of packing up and hauling off. We will have a final tally in a day or two. My task tomorrow is to empty the tools from my truck and haul all the goodies to the Thrift Store. Fortunately, we have a large selection of such establishments to chose from so I am hoping I come back empty handed.

A huge thank you to all who donated items. Many of you are readers of this blog. Without you, there would be no sale, and then no new bedding for the orphans, to go along with the new mattresses they just received. And, of course, an extra big thank you to Bill and Ella, who worked tirelessly on Friday to help set up and price, and then back again bright and early on Sat. to put in a full day of selling, and keeping us dry with the tent and tarps. And to busylizzy for pricing, for what seemed like days, storing a lot of stuff in her basement for the last six months, setting up, selling, and providing us with coffee and danish and other sustaining nutrients. And to Delores for all her donated items, many of them personal items that were hard to part with, for helping set up, for selling, and helping pack up at the end. And to Henry and Heidi for coming out despite both of them having health issues. and to Frank and Elma for the tables and moral support in times of a relapse of health issues and a multitude of spring projects on the farm. And to Ken and Jan. It is their fault we do this insanity every year. But wow! What workers and organizers. Both days, full time, setting up, advertising and signage, selling, cleanup, trucking, and just doing whatever it took to make it work.

After five years, we know what it takes to do this, but we still do it. I cannot speak for the others, but I think the reasons are many. It is a chance to help, in a small way, the less fortunate of the world. It is an opportunity to work together and have a lot of fun doing it. It is a chance to meet people of our neighbourhood and our city. It is a chance to 'clean house' of the extraneous materialism we are all guilty of. And it is a chance to feel that warm glow of being dead tired after accomplishing something of great value.

See you again next year.

It Was a No-Photo Event

Flat out for so many days, and now a bit of a break. The garage sale is a lot of work (and a lot of fun) without regular life interfering, but this year everything on my plate contrived to almost do me in. When the rain started exactly when the sale started, I just gave in, and then I was fine. Bill, the insightful and wise member of our group, was an absolute lifesaver today when he came with a fantastic big open tent and a few large tarps. We barely managed to cover almost everything and eventually, there was so little stuff left that the tent and tarps could come down.
We had a different variety of items this year, and had a greater item count than usual, with less big ticket items. We did have some furniture and it is all gone except for a desk. That is always the biggest concern. We (I) turned down a few truck loads of donated items at the last  minute on Friday and it was good that I did. It would have got soaked. We, at this moment, on Sat. night, have enough items left in our carport for another sale on Monday morning. So, no final tally of receipts until the last doodad is sold, or carted away to MCC. We do know that the Mwanza orphanage is a little better off today, and that is why we do this.
Oh, and no photo because I was too busy, and I also I did not want to ruin my camera in the rain. Maybe I can get a photo from a compatriot for the next blog post.

Fifth Annual Mwanza Garage Sale

This happy robust group of African kids is the gang that will benefit from our Annual Mwanza Garage Sale tomorrow. Above, is a very recent photo of the kids with their new mattresses. It is this kind of thing we are providing for them, besides food, shelter, clothing, and education. It is a joy to see these kids in the photo, knowing that we had a small part in their well being, and indeed in their very survival.

By 'we', I mean all those who are donating time, energy, money, and items to sell. There is a group of supporters in Kelowna as well as here, and we all do what we can to assure that this project is on going and successful. If you have time and inclination to purchase a treasure or give a donation, swing by Mouat Drive between 8 am and 3 pm on Saturday. The kids in the photo would be forever grateful.

Signs of Spring at Last

Spring has been teasing us for about six weeks now. Was today for real? Evidence that the Tulips are finally on their last legs, and the Dogwoods are about to bloom would suggest so. But just as promises of warm weather come, we are being coerced into a negative frame of mind when we read that the world is coming to an end on Saturday, and a day or two ago the USA hit its legislated debt ceiling. These are the kinds of things that can really get us down if we allow them to. But lets just enjoy the blue skies and balmy temperatures because I have it on good authority that nobody knows when the end comes (so we can pretty much guarantee that Saturday is not the day) and the US government has a plan to steal money from private pensions to save its bacon. There, now we can get back to enjoying the outdoors.

Seeing Stars

If you want to see stars without going to Hollywood, or without being bopped on the noggin, try this out . Read how this 5000 mega pixel photograph was made, and then play around on the interactive photo. How many stars are there in the universe? Only the One who made them knows.  

Biker Babe

I think I understand the appeal of  bikes, but somehow, the yen has evaded me. I think the bottom line for me is not being able to control certain elements of travelling while doing it on a bike. For example, the weather, having room for 'stuff', having a metal shell around me for protection when things go awry, and not being seen very well by others on the road. 

Obviously, my sister has overcome these negatives. She recently purchased a new Yamaha Silverado and dropped in on us on the way to a camping rendezvous with some of her family. She has always been adventurous so this is a fit. She loves it and has parked her normal mode of transportation, an SUV, in favour of this two wheeled beauty. She so loves riding it that she may even come and see us more often. Bonus.   

Good News for a Change

Loren Cunningham had a vision during a missions trip to Nassau, Bahamas, and thus started an incredible journey and an incredible missions organization, YWAM, or Youth With a Mission. This year is their 50th anniversary. They are in over 180 countries with more than a thousand locations. On Sunday, we heard about the latest YWAM exploits from Loren. He was the guest speaker in our church. His was a truly inspiring message peppered with stories, facts and figures, and overall, just plain good news. The non Christian world has no clue as to what is going on in the spiritual realms of this world. Their (YWAM'S) goal, to preach the gospel to all nations, tribes, and tongues, is lofty, but they have a concrete and doable plan to accomplish it by 2020! I had no idea about the huge numbers of people being impacted by the gospel, the biggest numbers coming out of some Muslim countries. "The world is changing rapidly" is an undisputed axiom, but not all aspects of this change are reported in the secular media. I think they should get on it because it is the biggest thing to hit the earth in two thousand years. And that is Good News!  

That Bible in the Drawer

I have been privileged to know many Gideons in my life and I have always been impressed by them and their organisation. I have even been asked several times to join their cause. So far, though, I have limited my involvement to attending their fund raising dinners and that is what we did last night. We sat at a table with three other couples and had a great time of visiting and getting to know some people we had not met before. It was the Gideon's one hundredth birthday and the report, given to a packed house, by the Canadian President, was very interesting and inspiring. There was music for the old folks (very few younger there than us) and some amazing testimonies. There are always stories about how God's Word, randomly discovered through the Gideon bibles, impacts human lives. They are all fascinating stories and makes one realise how powerful the Word is, all on its own.

One fellow in prison said that he would take a Gideon Bible but would roll his tobacco in the pages and smoke it. The Gideon said that he would still give him a Bible in spite of his disdain and disrespect for the Word, but on one condition. He had to read each page before he smoked it. Deal! The hardened convict ended up smoking through the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and somewhere in John, became a Christian and it changed his life.  

The thing I appreciate about The Gideons is that it is simply about getting Bibles out to people and letting the words and the message transform lives through God's spirit. There is no other agenda, no theological hobby horses, no monetary agenda, just getting the word out. The testimonies speak for themselves as to how powerful a strategy this really is. I have no misgivings about supporting them financially and prayerfully.    

What's With the Guns?

I read some fascinating information today about the rise in gun sales in the USA. Already this quarter, FBI background checks are up 16% over last year's first quarter. That is, 4.25 million requests. At the current pace, it will be the seventh year in a row of record high gun sales. The increase in gun sales is out stripping normal consumer spending increases by 4 times.

Now, let's jump over to Wal-Mart for a moment. Economists have used Wal-Mart trends to gauge the economy for many years already. They have concluded that the average Wal-Mart shopper lives pay cheque to pay cheque. Thus, when end of the month spending in Wal-Mart is down, they know that the average consumer is running out of money before they run out of month. Wal-Mart has had 7 straight quarters of sales declines. It is an economic indicator that does not bode well for the average American.

Here is the connection. Not one to miss out on current spending trends, Wal-Mart has announced that it will once again be selling guns in their outlets. Can't blame them for wanting to get in on the action.

But there is still the question as to why 14 million last year, and 16 million people this year are out to buy handguns. As Eric Fry of "The Daily Reckoning" says, every buyer has a different motive, but all have the same objective, and that is to arm themselves. Add this to unprecedented numbers of people buying and holding gold, and you have unprecedented numbers of people feeling uneasy. What do they feel is just around the corner?

What was Accomplished?

His is a most recognisable face, at least in this photo. His present countenance cannot be revealed to the public because he was shot in the head and the image would be too disturbing to reveal. He was conveniently 'buried at sea', very shortly after his death, in a token of sensitivity to his Islamic faith. This courtesy is not given to the myriad of dead Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq who are left to decompose in the desert where they are shot down by Allied Forces almost daily. 

The details of this incident are well known and I will not go into it other than to mention that there seems to be something fishy going on here. Let's examine the timing, for example. The US economy is in shambles like never before. Real unemployment is near 10%. Housing prices are still dropping and there are still unprecedented foreclosures of homes and businesses. Inflation is gathering momentum, the US dollar is falling, and Obama's ratings are abysmal at the beginning of his campaign for his second run at the presidency. Criticism and indeed hatred of the Homeland Security is rising and liberties are being eroded with increased intensity. 

 Is America a safer place now that the man with the portrait above is gone? Actually no. Why is everyone celebrating? There are now heightened security alerts throughout the country and the danger of retaliatory attacks is imminent. As commentator Gary Barnett observes, the time was ripe for a "solidifying event" to rally the American people around the flag. He goes on to say that "this stone kills a lot of birds". What better way to ease the tensions over increased security than to create a "flag event". What better way to get the masses to rally around the beleaguered president who now has a moral victory under his belt. What better way to start another round of wars against terrorism, aiding and abetting wealthy war contractors and power mongers. 

Watch for another galvanizing event, either an attack on American soil, or another initiative to send troops to foreign lands to root out the evil. 

This all begs the question. If Osama was unarmed, why could the team of Marines not have taken him alive? He could have been an asset to help gain immeasurable intelligence into his group of terrorists. I think the plan was firmly in place to kill him, for the above reasons. 

Those who are willing to give up freedoms for the sake of safety deserve neither freedom nor safety.      

Change is Coming

I made a prediction the night of the Federal election and I am sticking by it. The Liberal Party of Canada will begin talks with the NDP (New Democratic Party) and we will see a merge. Here are my reasons.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien is endorsing Bob Rae as interim Liberal leader now that Ingnatief has stepped down. Rae is balking because he knows that the interim leader should not and would not run as leader in the leadership convention. Bob is an ambitious man, has been Ontario Premier under the NDP and would like nothing better than to be Liberal Leader and Prime Minster.

Bob Rae, as a socialist at heart, and former NDPer, but now a Liberal,  would be the perfect buffer between Liberal and NDP factions in a merger.

The only reason NDP did so well in the election is because the anti-Conservative vote was desperate and saw the best chance of defeating Harper and the Conservatives in the rising star of Jack Layton. Now Jack has two big problems. He is heading up the biggest rookie team in history and they will blunder their way through parliament long enough for the voting public to see that they are buffoons. The other problem is Quebec. It was they who gave him all the seats, and it is they he has to answer to. How does he do it? Therefore, in a few years they will be ready to solidify power with a merger with the Liberals whose Quebec stock is higher.  

The most successful NDP opposition leader until Layton, Ed Broadbent is open to Liberals joining his party. "They have much in common". Translate: Merge

The Liberals know they are in trouble and need help. Just do the math and a merger makes sense. After all, it is more about power than principle.

The interim Liberal leader must be chosen in the next month, the full time leader in the next six months. The other front runners, Ralph Goodale, and Wayne Easter do not speak French. That leaves Bob Rae and he will lead the march toward a merge so he can be the next Prime Minister of Canada.    

Another Birthday

April is a big month for birthdays in both our families. Here is a late photo, from a week ago, of Keith and Liam blowing out the candles on Keith's birthday Black Forest cake. With 28 in our immediate family, we could have a cake like this on average more that twice a month. Add Mother's days, Father's days, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's day, and Easter and life is just one big celebration. 

And a great big Happy Mother's day to all you Moms out there.  

Tranquility

I like people and enjoy being with them, but I love getting away from the crowds, the noise, telephones, the bombardment of activity and the tyranny of schedules. And so it was that I arose early Sunday morning, poured a cup of coffee, and simply enjoyed the peaceful view from our vacation home. We were here extra early this year and certainly beat any traffic on the road and any activity in our little bay. And yet, it was like a warm summer day, with the temperature eventually reaching 21C. There were no orchard tractors, ski boats, children laughing and shouting, rhythmic irrigation sprinklers, radios or TVs. Only a pair of geese squawking as they herded their brood of 7 young goslings along the shoreline. 

The early morning light is different in spring than later in the summer months. I have been mesmerized by this view many times, but today it was particularly beautiful with the almost flat lake drawing the reflections far into the water, and the crisp blue skies exaggerating the saturation of the spring colour in the leaves of the distant trees. The scene is strangely fall-like but in a few days the greens will darken, the leaves will thicken, and the reflection of the trunks will not be as clear. 

Our panoramic view is ever changing, with the seasons, the weather, the time of day, and the time of year. It is a place where one is required to just sit and stare, to forget the cares of life and just bask in the beauty of God's creation. Maybe one day we will do it for more than the time it takes to sip a cup of coffee or two.          

This Year's Spring Projects

This lovely stove was my travelling companion, very well behaved and quiet. No demands. It was given to me last fall by one of my good customers who was doing a renovation and up-grade in her house. I delivered it only hours after one of the coils in the old stove had a melt down. We had been doing repairs on it for years.  

We plunked it down right beside the brand new refrigerator that had to be purchased last week. Again, the old one just quit, and in time for the new summer holiday season.

This is the stove in the cabin (cabana) and we feel it might be a collector's item. It is in great shape as a show piece. From the 50's? It is for sale. We are replacing it with something else as it may be a fire hazard and it is an energy guzzler.

Another project was replacing the septic tank covers (two of them) as the original timbers are rotting away. This is what the old one looks like.

This is a new cover that Will built. When he pulled off the old timbers and peered into the hole right in the middle of the driveway, he found an old Toyota and a baby carriage. That explains some old family mysteries. (Just kidding)

Of course, there is always plenty of laundry to do at clean up time. We had great weather so the air dryer worked well.

The center of our beautiful Red Birch was dead so Pete pruned it out. It leaves a huge hole in our green wall that protects us from the hot sun on the south property line.

I tackled a small paint project. The metal outdoor kitchen cabinets were rusting so I sanded, cleaned, primed and painted. These are the drawers drying in the sun.

And the cabinet, looking all spiffy and white. Unfortunately, a brisk wind picked up as the enamel was drying and the finish turned out a bit rough from all the flying pollen and tree debris.  

Will gave our Kubota tractor its annual oil change.

The little ride-on mower was next.

The ancient toilet in the basement suite finally heaved its last flush and had to be replaced. Ken had the pleasure of installing this new low-flow throne. The plunger was used in a panic as the first flush backed up something awful. It turned out that the sump pump was on the same electrical circuit as the crawl space lights that were not working. The result was that the sewer sump did not pump and the toilet backed up. So the last project was to fix the circuit breaker box. All is now well.

Pete also did a huge amount of work on the landscaping and the girls, Herta and busylizzy did major cleaning inside and outside the house.

The resort is all ready for another season of sun and fun.

Due East

I took a quick trip to the Okanagan on Saturday to deliver a new stove to the beach house, and to help in the annual spring cleanup. busylizzy went earlier with her sister. The work was almost done by the time I got there.

I like to enjoy the trip and have always loved driving the Hope-Princeton highway and beyond. The first photo is a quick stop just west of Sunshine Valley and just east of the famous Hope Slide.

I always stop at the Manning Park Lodge for a stretch and if the timing is right, a cup of coffee. There was a lot of snow still on the ground. It looks like winter there and this was early May.

There are some wonderful wood carvings at the entrance to the Lodge. This is one of them. I saw many deer and a black bear on this trip. Real ones!

I like stopping here. It is very inviting and the food is not too bad either.

A stop at Bromley Rock just past Princeton is obligatory. This is where we get rid of the coffee from the lodge that we have been sipping on for the last 100 Kilometres.

The red bridge just west of Keromeos has been freshly painted and looks quite striking in the late afternoon sun.

Cawston Valley and grape growing country, my very favourite stretch of road in all of BC.

Just click your tongue a few times and you too can pronounce Spotted Lake in the aboriginal language.

This is a better shot of the famous alkaline lake bed that is rather wet this time of year. This is just west of Osoyoos, before you descend steeply downward into the Okanagan Valley. At this point we pat our pockets to make sure we have our passports, and we know we are only minutes from our destination. Next post I will show you some of what we did this year at the property.

Historic

Our incumbent MP won by more than 20,000 votes so I guess I need not have voted. Not really. If we had all thought like that, he may have lost by 20,000 votes.

Bad news: There will be another election in Canada
Good news: It will not be for four more years. YEAH! 

There are many headline stories coming out of our election last night. 
- Those who tried in desperation to prevent a Conservative Majority, actually split the vote and helped exactly what they did not want happen, to happen.
- The Liberal Party of Canada is in disarray, and leaderless. There is a real possibility that there will be talks to unite the center/left and bring about a two party system in Canada. 
- The Green Party made history by electing its first sitting member of Parliament in the history of North America. 
- The BQ is now history
- The NDP will have to tone down its socialism or it will ensure another majority for the Conservatives in four years. 
- The Conservatives have representation in all ten provinces, a truly national party, and yet for the first time, the West feels like a partner in the affairs of the country
- A much healthier voter turnout this election than last, showing that in spite of a reluctance to have the election, enough people still care, more than 14 million of us. (more than 61% of eligible voters) 

It was a most interesting election that has changed the landscape in Canadian politics. I am sure I will not be the only one who will watch carefully what transpires in the days ahead. We are now in new territory. 

Time to get back to what is really important, hockey.  :)   

Oh Canada

I take my voting privilege seriously. I do believe that I have never missed the opportunity to vote at any election at any level of government. I rushed to my polling station after work today, only to find that my booth had the longest lineup. It is Murphy's law, I'm sure. There were 12 of us the whole time, while only one or two or none at the other eleven stations. Two in front of me was a party of immigrants of undisclosed origin. Of course, the spelling of the name was an issue, and the fact that one of them had no voting card made me realise it was going to be a long wait. An interpreter was sent over and in spite of one of them having no back-up ID, they were all eventually allowed to vote. While I was waiting, I heard the conversation of the very young couple behind, looking like they were not old enough to vote. It was apparent that they were going to put an 'x' beside the Marxist Leninist candidate. Needless to say, I was seething and trying not to turn on them and give them a history lesson. 

Canada! What a great place.  

Do It Now

These beautiful blossoms are now history. The splendour is fleeting. If life is busy and you do not take the time to wander among the blooming cherry trees and surround yourself with beauty, you will have to wait until next year. There is always another chance.

But not all things are like that. There are many wondrous experiences that come into our lives but once. Many go unrecognised. "Some day we will do that, or go there, or spend time time with that person, or try something new, or accomplish that goal, or fulfill that dream." Then, before we know it, age, or ill health, or a turn in our finances takes us by surprise and all we have left are our regrets about the things that never were. There is no next season. The blossoms are on the ground and are rotting, no longer beautiful, but barely a reminder of what was. Why did we not stand under the tree when we had a chance, when the petals were thick like snow, the bees were causing the air to vibrate, and we were surrounded by the promise of spring and new life?

We saw these trees from a distance, as we sped by on the way to the next appointment, and we thought, as we took a last glance in the rear view mirror, " That's nice. One day I will stop and check that out." 

Just do it now!