Spring is progressing at a leisurely pace this year. Temperatures staying mild with the occasional 70s.  My yard is  magnificent with the hyacinths, daffodils, grape hyacinth, and serviceberry all opening together.  Tulips are just starting and the apples and crabapples won't be far behind.

The mild weather is giving blossoms plenty of time to unfold and giving me time to capture them.

I always think of spring as the back and forth between winter and summer. A tug of war between the seasons.  It seems that summer has the advantage now.  We've finally broken free of colder temperatures.  Several days in a row of blue skies and temps in the 70s.  People are everywhere basking in the sun, young squirrels are racing up trees and along the telephone wires, leaves are starting to uncurl.  Everywhere life is waking up.

It's been wonderful to open the windows and let the fresh air in.  Time  to make room for lots of walking; looking at the emerging leaves and the early flowers.  I think my favorite part of all though is hearing the birds singing.  I only know a few by sound, but the anonymous choir is lovely.

These are a few of the early sights of color and life returning to the north.

Well, the pins have come out.  Hand freedom feels so good! 

It's such a treat to be able to use both hands again.  It's so instinctive to reach for things with my left hand.  When drawing with my right, I could feel the urge to switch hands and take up the pen with my left.  Now I can.  The drawings below are done with my left, I'd like to keep up drawing with the right.  I made good progress with it.

While I have the use of my left hand again, my lesson in patience continues.  My little finger doesn't like to listen when I tell it to do things.  It doesn't hurt, just stubbornly refuses to obey.  Routine tasks like typing had to be relearned.  It's amazing just how quickly the path between the mind and the hand disappears.  So I continue to try to reconnect them, doing my exercises, and asking it to do familiar tasks.  There is progress, but not as quickly as I'd like.  But that's where the learning lesson comes in.  It doesn't matter what I'd like, it's just going to take time so I might as well relax, accept it, and keep at it.  Sounds like the old concept of hozho.  Maybe this is a lifetime lesson.