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They say there’s always good fishing after a rain.  When Daisy and I arrived at the farm on Saturday morning (Jen and Sarah were on a Caedmon alumni canoe trip in Narrowsburg), we found it cold and wet: 55 degrees with a driving rain.  Eventually the skies cleared, and we saw this heron fishing for a late lunch.

Things brightened further when Jen and Sarah turned up.  Jen and I went to the Northern Dutchess Botanical Gardens to find some plants for the garden.

This strawberry plant came with a head start, visible at the tip of Jen’s right index finger.

We were smiled upon by one of the NDBG’s photogenic frogs.

The Ravens played their last game of the season — perhaps their last game ever — on Sunday against West Point.  They played an excellent, spirited game against a very tough opponent.  While they did not prevail, they should be proud of how they played as a team.

Jen cut a few peonies before we left.

It did not actually rain on our parade — including Rhinebeck’s mind-boggling assortment of fire trucks —  although it threatened to do so.  Sarah marched with the Rhinebeck Ravens, likely for the last time.  The team will not continue after this season.

All of the Burleighs visited for the weekend.   We would not have minded a little rain as we watched the parade from the covered front porch of the new home of our friends Guy and Maya.  They were out of town, so, technically, we were trespassing.

It was a very hot weekend.  Sarah swam in the pond both Saturday (with Jen, Rinda, Lewis, and Erica) and Sunday (with fellow Raven Maeve).

We spent most of Saturday at Harriman State Park cheering on Jen as she took on the swim portion of a relay triathlon.  After Jen braved the frigid waters of Lake Welch for a half-mile swim, her team turned in strong biking and running performances, finishing second among the relay teams.

Sunday’s athletic endeavors were somewhat less successful.   A doleful Daisy looked on as the Ravens were routed eight nothing by the Cordlandt Riveters.

Sylph-like Sarah frolicked on the bench.  We are glad that springtime is here, although it was only about 50 degrees.

The lilacs, and many other flowers, are blooming.

Mothers Day was celebrated across the farm, including, we assume, in this nest just outside our front door.

Jen enjoyed her customary breakfast in bed, this year featuring a spinach, cheddar and ramp omelet.  Sarah and I got her a gift certificate at the Hudson Valley Seed Bank.

But an even greater gift arrived in the form of a 4-1 Ravens victory over the Peekskill Santos, ending a two and three-quarter season-long schneid.  Sarah, who played a terrific game, celebrated with her teammates over tacos and ice cream in beautiful downtown Peekskill.

I’m not sure what this fox is carrying — maybe a suitcase?  [Update: the fox is carrying its cub.  Not a suitcase.]

We ourselves traveled light this weekend.  Jen was in Boston, and Sarah and I returned to New York tonight so Sarah could attend a Brearley/Collegiate orchestra event Sunday morning.  There’s lots going on at the farm, however: the bleeding hearts are beginning to bloom, I spotted some columbine, our highly fragrant Korean spicebush is in full flower, and we have grown two asparagus spears.

We had a brief visit to the farm this weekend — just long enough to see some tulips in bloom.

Sarah kept smiling through her first weekend with braces.

It was hard to remain altogether cheerful during today’s 8-1 drubbing by the Cornwall Copa.  However, we were all smiles when a throw-in by Sarah led to the Ravens’ only goal, near the end of the second half.

Our new Star Magnolia is more of a Cameo Magnolia this spring, as a result of some very late frosts.  We remain optimistic about other flora.  It certainly feels like spring: it was in the high seventies today, and yesterday the barn swallows returned from their winter vacation.

We returned to the farm, after three weeks away for spring break, to find rather unspringlike weather.   Sarah’s soccer practice was canceled on Saturday because it was too cold.  On Sunday, it warmed up a bit (into the mid-thirties), and we had this visitor to the pond: a rather large blue heron.

He was a bit camera shy.

At noon, the Ravens played their first game of the season, against Red Hook.  It was a close matchup but the Ravens lost three nothing.