Battle in the Heavens...

I was heading in to work early on the Saturday of the Easter weekend (11th April) when I noticed these amazing clouds. I guess the battle between dark and light was quite pronounced in the heavens that day. It was quite a striking reminder that despite these dark days with COVID-19 challenges everywhere, a new day is coming! The dark cannot last forever. Victory is coming! :)

Another view of the contrasting cloud bank.

African Fabric Picnic Blanket...

Candace first made this African fabric quilt blanket at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013. It is made from colourful fabric from Sierra Leone, Ghana and Togo. It was as beautiful then as it is now, but with gaining two kiddos since then, our picnics require a little bit more space. And so my talented wife recently enlarged it by adding the outer strips of fabric. She also replaced the waterproof backing - that had worn thin from use - with more sturdy material. She's certainly a talented quilter and seamstress!

Duplo in the Grass...

Riaan enjoyed playing Duplo in the grass earlier this month.

He built a really cool dragon-monster - complete with a skateboard! :)

American Robin's nest...

A pair of American robins have set up home in our maple tree, and it has been cool to watch them this spring - as they flitter back and forth bringing tasty worms for their young. :)

 American robin as seen through the front window.

 Sitting in the sturdy nest.

The nest is located on a tree limb that is itself shooting off new branches.

Super Pink Moon...

April's full moon occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. We had clear skies that night and this Super Pink Moon was lovely. The "Pink" in the name doesn't actually refer to the colour of the moon itself. It actually refers to the creeping phlox flowers that bloom in spring in North America.

A closer view of April's Super Pink Moon.

Cycle with Riaan...

Riaan and I went for a cycle on an overcast early-April day recently. It was not as pleasant a cycle as is often the case, unfortunately. We were chased by two sets of two large dogs within a space of about 300 metres. (1,000 feet.)

I don't know if you've ever been unfit, with a four-year-old on the back of the bike, and then had to quickly accelerate to outpace two large dogs running alongside you, while simultaneously shouting at them to leave you alone. It took my breath away and really made me feel it in my lungs. And then the exact same thing happened again just down the road with two different but equally intimidating dogs!

Oh well. We still managed to enjoy our father-son bonding time, but we did cut our bike ride a little bit shorter than initially planned. We won't be riding that route again!

Flooded fields after recent heavy rains.

Purple Finch...

A little purple finch visited our bird feeder recently. His striking colour is very pretty!

Monty B Cinnabons...

My nephews have been putting up an almost daily video of their time under the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. We've loved seeing these snippets into their lives and a few weeks ago they shared a yummy recipe online - Monty B Cinnabons!  You can view the video here and find more of their daily highlights on their Youtube channel there.

Riaan and I decided to make Rhyenn's recipe for a tea time snack on Saturday, 4th April. They were delicious and I'll certainly be making them again soon! :) Thanks, Rhyenn and Jesse!

 The ingredients.

 Riaan dipping the fried goodies into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

 Two thumbs up for the recipe! :)

Fire Hydrant Flushing...

The fire hydrants here in Washington are flushed out every spring. This is done to not only test the flow of water, but also to get rid of any built-up rust and sediment. I happened to look out of the window and saw this being done recently. The kiddos were really excited to see all of the water flowing out of the hydrant! :)

Sibling Love...

We've managed to do several activities during this COVID-19 season of life. One of our favourite things to do is a family walk (remaining carefully in our bubble) around our block. It warms our hearts to see the love that these two have for each other! We've also enjoyed a lot of quality time spent at home, building forts and reading books. It's been good family time - despite all that is happening in the outside world.

 Painting their finger nails.

 Hanging out in their cool blanket fort.

Fort fun in the living room. :)