In order to do what I can to make it through this till the sun returns, and to soothe those of you who are suffering along with me, I will share some recent images of sunshine. At the very least, it will help me remember what sunshine actually looks like.
Our house faces east, so the rising sun lights our family room.
Looking the other direction, we have sunrise as seen through the windows of the family room bay.
As the sun rises, it illuminates our barn and the trees in the distance, slowly, spreading from top to bottom.
Our critters are accustomed to the sunshine patterns, and they know exactly where to nap to get the best sun. One of the leather chairs in our family room is a favorite spot ... the following photos were all taken on the same morning, as each cat took their turn in the chair.
Dorothy
Maggie
Alice
Maggie is especially adept at seeking out and enjoying the warmth of a sunshine spot.
Morning sun on the family room rug.
Mid-day sun on a south-facing windowsill.
I often find Alice in the foyer like this.
As the day progresses, and the sun comes over the house, the dining room becomes THE place to be. One afternoon, I walked in and saw this scene.
"They consulted counsel about it and found a loophole," said a friend when she saw this photo.
Whether it's sunny or cloudy, I often find Ruby at this window watching critters in the backyard.
Judging by the direction of her gaze, I suspect that she is watching a groundhog.
This wet, cold weather pattern MAY break over the weekend. I hope it does ... not that I'm complaining, you understand. All this rain has its advantages. My garden is enjoying the grey skies and rain, and the grass ... oh my lord, you should see the grass. It's very, VERY tall, and WAY too wet to mow. I have roses to plant, but I need to wait to do that till the soil dries out a bit. On the plus side, the saturated soil makes it really easy to pull weeds in my rose and perennial beds. I have been getting out to do just that whenever it's not actively raining. Not ideal, but I gotta do what I can to feed my need to be outside and get as much of my spring clean-up finished before rose season ... which will be here soon, whether I'm ready or not. I'm okay with that.