Spring's busting to burst

You can tell when spring is near because men lose their minds -- and so do some women. I've not lost mine yet but I think a couple men may drive me in that direction.

I decided to do a bit of spring cleaning early this year and get rid of some pernicious suitors, specifically some men who have lately come out of the woodwork, so to speak, to change my mind and my heart. I also cleared the way of a man who wouldn't make up his mind. I have little patience with fools and schmucks. But to think one guy would think my brush-off feisty and a come-on is proof he's either lost his mind or is deep in spring rut before the rut begins. Ye gods!

On Saturday, one year ago, my father died and as the time gets closer I feel sad and miss him. I also feel that I don't want to waste any more time because I may die tomorrow or on Saturday or some day soon with fools and schmucks sucking the very life and excitement out of me. That's why I decided to make my feelings known. There's nothing like remembering a loved one's death to remind you how much there is still to be lived.

So today I went to the east side of town, a place I venture to visit only once a month when I pick up the ham club newsletter at the printer's, and met a few guys for an afternoon of ham radio exams, cookies, and coffee (I don't eat cookies and I don't drink coffee). Out of the group, only one failed to get their license and I met a gentleman from Columbus, Ohio, my hometown, who graduated from Eastmoor High School. He wouldn't tell me which year, but I'll bet it was at least 1960 or thereabouts. His name is Rick (just what I need, another Rick in my life) and the corporation he works for offered him twenty thousand dollars to put together a radio station and ham radio classes for licensing. Now that's what I call corporate intelligence. The radio station is state of the art and not quite done yet, but I did get pictures and a bit of video. Of the two women there, one got her license and plans to go on to get her General license now that she has her Technician's license. We definitely need more women in amateur radio and I'm glad they're both determined to keep going.

It was a beautiful day today full of good friends, pleasant acquaintances and even a lovely drive -- even if it was to the east side of town -- with the air freshened by a cool breeze and full of clear Colorado blue skies and sheepish clouds meandering across the sky in front of Pike's Peak's snowy face, the kind of day that reminds me what it's like when the sap begins to rise and makes me glad I live here. Can the forsythia be far behind?

That is all. Disperse.