and yes there are crocuses blooming

We spent the day hanging out with friends at our house. The kids spent a good bit of time in and out of the house playing and looking through toys and books and such. This was the first time we had gotten together with these friends in our home and there was much seeing and showing and telling about. Guinea pigs, star wars, Nerf guns, guinea pigs, swinging, dollhouses, cats, dogs, snacks, guinea pigs, Playmobil. Did I say guinea pigs? The sun was shining and the kids had the inspired idea to take a walk to a nearby park and we spent the next two hours (give or take) outside at the park while they worked on moving rocks around to create a stream and waterfall leading into the lake there. It was a magical time with flocking birds, great blue herons, ducks and coots, a rare snowy egret sighting (my first at this park), saving worms from certain death in the now flowing water. The grand finale was a crawdad who crawled out from under one last rock being pried from the ground. He made his way down the flowing stream, meandering unhurriedly as though the path were made for his journey out to the lake. We walked back chilled and contented with cold hands and muddy feet. Bare heads. Laughing in the setting sunshine.