The Spider and the Fly [with thanks to Mary Howitt]

Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly,
 'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
  The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
   And I've a many curious things to show when you are there.”
“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain,
 For who goes up your winding stair
     -can ne'er come down again.”

~ Mary Howitt, (1829)

No dogs on this walk. My friend VM and I are encouraging each other and we agreed that dogs would slow the walk. I guess Paddy will get an evening stroll.

I was up early, afraid I would oversleep. It is weird to go from "whenever" to a specific, early-ish, time. I had time to drink one cup of tea, feed animals, answer some email, and read a little news. And I still got to the park first.

It gave me time to look for the purple leatherflowers in the margin of the woods. Ah, the woods are lush and competing vines are winning - I saw wild grape, dewberry, honeysuckle, and maybe a little snail seed vine. No leatherflowers were blooming, at least not yet.

I thought I should grab a photo of something as the walk would be on a path through well manicured park (no flowers) and we would be moving too fast*...so I attempted the honeysuckle blooms - about the only showy things where I waited.

A fly was perched on a petal. It did not move as I snapped away. Imagine my surprise to discover the fly had company.

Ms. Howitt's little ditty came to mind.

The pecan trees are blooming, catkins hanging down, green fringe at the tips of the branches:

My friend and I walk our mileage** in no time. We did stop once, to admire the small plots in the town garden. It is just beginning - we will see how it progresses.

We spied tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, and lilies. Not sure why someone is growing lilies in this garden.

NOTES:

*"Fast" is a relative term. It was fast enough to be a little winded and to sweat. We did talk a bit, so we weren't breathless.

**The pedometer had switched from steps to miles. I wanted steps! We could not believe we had walked 3 miles, but after some research I am convinced we did!