April 13: I arrived home from the Dominican Republic at 3:30 AM Saturday, only to discover that the temperature was -3C and there was still snow in the driveway. Admittedly, shorts were a bad fashion choice, but really – it’s supposed to be spring. Obviously, one hackneyed photograph of a robin doth not a Spring make, but here are some things that do…
Dirt: About a week ago, a flat-bed truck arrived 
at the Valu-Mart and proceeded to unload the year’s supply of dirt. Not just any dirt. Some of this stuff is top-of-the-line President’s Choice dirt. I would have thought that a neighbourhood developed almost a hundred years ago would be pretty well supplied with dirt, but apparently it’s not. It will all be gone from the store in a month or so.
Amen Corner: Dad being a golfer meant that I was exposed to the Master’s Golf Tournament very early in life. At first, it didn’t mean much, especially on a black and white TV. But later I came to see it as a full-colour harbinger of Spring. It’s held in Augusta, Georgia, so the plants and gardens are a few weeks “ahead of schedule” compared to Ontario. The place is gorgeous. I think it’s the prettiest course on the Tour, although Pebble Beach looks pretty good too. The Masters is the first golf “major” of the year and it always reminds me of Dad and gets me thinking about dragging out the clubs and getting ready for the golf season. That said, I played once last year.
Colour: I don’t think that Toronto is a particularly “colourful” city. Our restrained
Anglo Saxon heritage defined us as solid and dignified as opposed to flamboyant and outgoing. Winter makes the situation even worse; everything fades to a flat grey or brown. With Spring comes a resurgence of natural colour that changes everything. And then there’s the annual ritual of buying trays of pansies and geraniums….
Rabbits: We are blessed here at Garden Court to have a family of rabbits in the main courtyard. Although they are usually quite timid, I looked out a few weeks back to see one chowing down on the new growth on the hedge. Yesterday I saw a pair cavorting on the front lawn. They were obviously not interested in feeding.
So in spite of the cooler weather, Spring can’t be that far off. With that in mind, I’m off to get my motorcycle out of storage. And buy some dirt.