In This, the Time of Spring

Happy April!  Can you believe we're already one fourth through the year?!  It certainly has been a pretty good fourth though, and we're just starting to get some nice weather.  We'll probably get some rain and another cold snap or two, but the forecast calls for 60s and 70s later this week, and I hope it stays.

I went for a walk while waiting for my laundry to finish drying after dinner at Mom and Dad's last week, which was quite lovely.  It stays light out until 7 or 7:30 now, so it was nice to take advantage of that.

And speaking of weather and the environment, did anyone else participate in Earth Hour on Saturday?  Every year on a Saturday in March since 2007, people around the world have dedicated an hour of lights-off (and hopefully no electronics) in an effort to raise awareness of energy consumption, open discussion about our relationship to nature, and encourage people and groups to take accountability for their ecological footprint.  While not officially an energy reduction exercise, a study of observed changes in electricity demand spanning six years in ten countries suggested an average 4% decrease.

So, at 8:30pm on Saturday I lit a few candles and read my book for an hour.  It was peaceful and quiet, and the darkness was relaxing.  While my few lights don't make much of a difference, it was kindof neat to take part in a global initiative for the environment.  Makes me think we should have one more than once a year!

(photos by e.hunt)