Lovely Woods, Vengeful Thoughts

 

Yesterday's progress, glacial but promising!

 

And then this morning the big news is the elongation of stems.  Still no opening of blooms but the raceme is slowly forming.

 

And the florabunda roses (I know-- they are evil invasives) are open and making everything smell like a midsummer moonlight. And the sunlight is sweetly warm -- and suddenly two little rat-looking dogs burst around a bend, no owner in sight.  They stomp through the flowery trail verges;  they pee every few feet,  they scuffle around in the tender new growth and poop.  Then along comes their owner, smoking a cigarette in spite of the trailhead sign that says dogs must be on leads and no fires of any kind.  I want to lob a pine cone at her but instead I ask her to leash her dogs and stop smoking in the woods. She informs me that she has been walking these trails for years and will not be bullied by me.  I call campus security while she glowers at me.  I sincerely hope they towed her car but I doubt they would although they promised to come out right away and nab her. Grrrrr!