Spring has Sprung

Yup! Spring is finally here. Gone are the cold, rainy and dark days of winter. It really does feel like we are coming out of a dark cocoon into the light, where there is a renewed sense of happiness and optimism. Along with that comes the feeling of a new beginning, which of course means… time to start spring cleaning. Yay!

I have to be honest, cleaning is not one of my favourite things no matter what time of year, but invoking the old “misery loves company” axiom, this year I convinced Biscuit to help. She’s not a happy camper and I have to do some sweet talking but she finally agrees once I promise a walk on the beach and a cold beverage when we’re done.

Where Did All This Dust Come From?

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t know where dust comes from. Maybe I don’t want to know. I do however, know that once I open the blinds, dust magically appears. I did consider just leaving the blinds closed forever as a strategy, but decided that might be a little drastic, not to mention weird, so I reluctantly start to wage war on the dust that has accumulated.

Biscuit does not last long in this endeavour as she starts sneezing. She disappears for a while but, being the trooper that she is (and really wanting to make sure she gets that walk), she comes back later with her mask on ready to go. We high paw each other and get back to business and in no time the dust is gone, for now…

The Evil Monster That Lives In The Closet

Next on my list of least favourite things to do is vacuum. I walk over to the closet to get the vacuum, and see that Biscuit has a look of impending doom on her face. She knows that I am going to release the “evil monster”, and she decides I can handle the vacuuming myself and that her best strategy is to hide fast. I start vacuuming and Biscuit stays behind the dining room table until I have to vacuum under it. She then makes a quick break upstairs to the bedroom, where she burrows under the bed covers.

As I drag the vacuum up the stairs to finish the job, I try to think of something positive about this chore. The best I can come up with is that at least the vacuum is not as heavy as mom’s old Hoover contraption. I know, I know, I’m really stretching here, but really how much positive is there to say about vacuuming??

Once I finish, Biscuit comes out of hiding, and we carry on.

Into The Great Wide Open

I’m pretty sure that Dad lived by the premise that cleanliness was next to godliness, and that it was an art and skill to be practiced to the highest degree. (this from the man who used a fork to straighten areas on the shag carpet that refused to stand upright after vacuuming) This philosophy extended to the outside as well. So Biscuit and I open the door to the garden and tentatively peer outside. Ugh! Its a mess.(Did I mention that yard work is also one of my least favourite things to do?) On this Biscuit and I agree. We both just want to sit in the back yard, sip martinis and soak up the sunshine, but alas, in order to get to that, the yard has to be cleaned up. We look at each other meaningfully, sigh, and step outside.

With all the rain, and snow we had this year the yard is particularly messy. I grab the hedge trimmers, clippers and rakes and begin to work. I soon discover that I actually enjoy using the clippers and so I focus on that. I don’t realize until it’s too late that, Biscuit is frantically barking like there is a squirrel in the yard, trying to warn me that I am getting a little carried away with the trimming. When I finally get the message, I step back and realize that we are going to have a very sparse garden for a while. Oh well, fortunately gardens are like hair….. they grow back. I guess we’ll just have to delay any garden parties until the fall. 😂

After completing all our spring cleaning, Biscuit and I are exhausted but we jump in the car and go to the beach to celebrate. I have a glass of wine, and Biscuit has a beer. We say a little prayer, and hope we don’t have to do that ever again. But we both have come to the conclusion that spring cleaning is just a necessary evil to be endured on an annual basis. Oh well……sigh.

We do a new post every Monday so stay tuned for our next one entitled “Games People Play.”