The Last Lilacs and Apple Blossoms

Dear Diary,

I realized that I had not acknowledged my lilacs and apple blossoms properly this year so I scrounged around for the last stems.  Last year, when I was in Ireland and Scotland, I missed them altogether. It's funny how these yearly rituals of bloom have become increasingly important to me.

It was near 90 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday and today will be just as hot.  That will put an end to the black flies.  It seems our springs are very brief and we head right into summer these last few years.  We live in a climate of extremes.  But I will savor these warm days and rejoice in the flowers...each day is a gift to be opened with reverence.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.  There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature— the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
-   Rachel Carson