The Irony

That my child will not, will not, sit in a stroller for a walk. No, she must push it, and then become frustrated that she can't wield a contraption made for an adult.

And yet, she will ride in this, a doll carriage, for close to an hour.

Just watching the scene go by.

Stopping to talk to the neighbors out getting their mail or watering their lawns.

And of course, having her mama and daddy grab her some dandelions.

Special Delivery

A few days ago, the sun was out for the first time in several days, and we celebrated this by, of course, spending it in the gardens.

I brought my camera because I knew there would be some new blooms out, but I ended up catching something much more special.

Flats of new blooms were delivered, and Noelle was delighted to toddle in and out among the rows of flowers. After the initial excitement, she set to examining the flowers and found that she could lift the individual plants out.

She began methodically, and with much joy, taking each plant out to place ever so carefully in a line. If one fell over, she gently set it back upright.

Once she had finished with her arrangement of impatiens and periwinkles, she set to bringing her Mama some of these lovely flowers, and then nudged my head toward them to smell.

Taking a break to smell the flowers

The neighborhood horticulturist up at Chandor, Steve, commented that he believes she is destined to become some sort of naturalist.

In case she does, and is reading this several decades from now...

Noelle, your love for flowers began before you knew the word "flower",

Your respect for the natural world came before you knew trees give us our oxygen and shade,

And before you could understand the importance of our connection with nature, you were madly and completely in love with all its wonders.