A morning view through the gate

Leaving for work this morning, the light was perfect -- soft and mellow.

The young coral honeysuckle next to the gate is thriving, and in full flower.

And through the gate (or really over the fence), the side garden looked lovely, too, cloaked in spring greens, with dogwood white.

Morning light, warmth, and fresh herbs

In spite of the frigid days in the last week, the morning light has reminded me of tropical places. A pink glow has illuminated hazy clouds, contrasting with crystal-clear air. It's been lovely.

The clarity of the air was a definite contrast from the haziness and humidity of Southern Vietnam, but the shock of returning to an usually deep cold spell in the Southeastern US (and a cold workplace, thanks to insufficient insulation and underpowered heat) has made my normally semi-cold-tolerant genes wishing for warmth and sunshine.

A dinner of fresh romaine lettuce wraps with roasted chicken, an aromatic brown rice, stir-fried vegetables, with a nice dipping sauce made with fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro, sugar, peanuts, and chilies reminded us of some of the delicious dinners we'd had in Southeast Asia.

It was almost like warmth (and sunshine) on a plate.