Well St. Patty's day couldn't have been better. Weather was perfect, warm enough that Ava and Regina were wearing shorts and little tops. Ian was barefoot and Paul warned him of the dog poop in the cemetery. The scavenger hunt was a success, teams of Ava and Regina, Michael and Shane, Tony and Henry, Helene and Ian. Ava and Regina were the most successful in finding all the stones, but they were on their phones with each other, running through the cemetery. "Technical help", Helene called it.

Laura came later with Sabra, having just been tatooed for the fourth year in a row, this time doing it in the city of Hudson. She now has a ship, the Widdah 1717 on the top of her right leg. This is the ship that wrecked off the shore of Wellfleet when Black Sam was coming for his sweetheart Maria. Rachael went to the same place and has an M with stars on it on her right side, under her arm. They discussed which place was more painful, and Rachael said she could not stop shaking the whole time, but was really glad to do it, especially for Maria.

We flew kites, blew bubbles, but the highlight was Solomon sitting on a wooden folding chair, music stand in front of him, playing "When the Saints Come Marching In" on his trumpet. I tell you that trumpet sound rocked the cemetery, enough to raise the dead as they say. We sang five verses and he did a great job. I wanted music and I got it. Then back to Sabra's for a cookout, the weather cooperating all the way. After I had gone to bed, I remembered that we had left the Christmas lights on the tree and trellis to light on St. Patty's Day, and I yelled down to Tim to put on the lights. They were beautiful, and I fell asleep looking at their reflection on the bedroom ceiling. A wonderful day.

It sounds like Spring in the morning, the cardinals are starting their mating calls, the red-winged blackbirds are back and we are in March. I know before the day is over, Timmy will ask his usual riddle for this day: "What's the only date that is also a command?" MARCH FOURTH.

Not a bad winter, in fact February was the warmest February on record for New York. The road in the cemetery has been open all year, the first time since Maria died. The Christmas Blankets have been taken off, and the bulbs are starting to peek out. The grave down in the corner is already decorated for St. Patrick's Day, green shamrocks, green artificial flowers. There are two new stones near Maria. One is very interesting. On the back it says, "See where we have been." And on the front, with the names, are two pictures. One is a cat looking at a book titled Egypt and on the other side of the stone is a cow in a field. Gives me a lot to think about.

So Spring is heading our way again. I was surprised to see in the Almanac that we turn the clocks ahead already next weekend. Time and tide, you can't stop either.