All is well in Kagawong.

May 1—quite a fine day to arrive. High alto-stratus with a diffused but bright sun...and warmth...60 F, or thereabouts. The house still standing and exhibiting no signs of neglect. Pine Box looking good. Evidence of previous minor erosion but not much flowing now. Swales wet, but not full. Much colder inside than outside, but a big fire in the Osburn, a radiant heater cranked in the upper bath, and some pretend baking in the oven, and we are warming. It will take my feet a while though, since they were wading.

Snow on the north slopes and in sheltered locations, but no ice on the bay. The bay flat calm, which facilitated the deployment of the water line. I waded to within an inch of the top of the chest waders and lowered the pipe-stand with its attached foot-valve. But with the water so high it was not out far. So, the two of us turned the Suzie P (strangely yellowed over the winter) right-side-up and launched from land. Using the the marking float line, I heaved the pipe-stand off the boulders and Sue rowed, and now we have the foot-valve somewhere out by Clapperton—in very deep water.

The water is high, higher than it was last October—and we are very early in the annual water cycle. While nothing is knowable in advance, historically the water continues to rise until somewhere in July. We are definitely on the upside.

Apart from the waterfowl on the bay you would not know it was spring. Mostly pale shades of gray and brown, with the hardwoods maintaining a dormant appearance. Very little green.

But all is quiet—very quiet. When the gulls shut up there is basically nothing to hear—and I like that. An absolute silence like this is good preparation for listening to Rachmanioff's "Variations on a Theme of Chopin."

The only problem is...I don't have my chartreuse Rockport baseball cap. Forgetful as I am, yesterday I left it hanging on a plant-stand outside Aunt Janet's house, where we enjoyed a visit complemented by kringle and coffee. Maybe too much kringle?

Obviously, Vianet works...couldn't be blogging without it. And, (I will say this sotto voce, so as not to jinx it) it seem to be faster than it was last year.

So, in summary, we made it back to where we once belonged.