This is the time of the year when Belleville oversteps it's own name. It is beyond beautiful. Ancient crabapple trees with gnarled trunks greet you majestically around every corner ....their soft pink blossoms bring a gentle glow to your inner being and just one gaze eases the day's tensions. The lilacs are in bloom ! Here and there I see smiling women and girls and little boys carrying home their treasure of an armload of lilacs. I imagine the glorious fragrance that precedes them as they walk determinedly home, the bounce of spring in their step.
The gorgeous homes in the Old East Hill proudly declare 'Spring has arrived !' with their gardens of tulips and phlox and freshly planted geraniums. The gardens are so beautiful that mere words won't depict the visions...so, I will take some pictures today and post them later.
The shore birds have come back home for the season ! A few weeks ago I heard a loon call as he flew past my window in the early morning light, gracefully heading for the Bay of Quinte where Great Blue Herons and Grackles walk peacefully along the shores .
There is so much natural beauty here, the meandering Moira River under the jurisdiction of Quinte Conversation , graces the centre of the city with it's rapids and twists andold stone bridges . The waterfront trail runs along it's border and is the perfect way to spend a peaceful few hours resting your soul while you not only exercise your muscles, but rejuvenate yourself while gazing on fish playing in small riverside bays, swaying willows with perfectly placed benches, herons scanning for their next meal, and fellow journeymen/women passing by as they smile and say a friendly 'Hello, beautiful day, isn't it?' . 'Yes, it is' you softly answer, and continue on your way.
