May Day

In the tradition of hanging a homemade basket on your doorknob, knocking and then running off, I am presenting you with this May basket. I didn't know about this until I read about it on Far Side of Fifty, but I went to find (of course) the Wikipedia entry about May Day, and found this charming description:

In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

This is very hard to do when your intended is in the blogosphere! That Wikipedia link (above) gives some amazing information about the date, and why it is celebrated all over the world. It's also the Gaelic celebration of Beltane, which is halfway between the winter solstice (first day of winter) and the summer solstice (first day of summer). So it's a pretty fine day, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, at least.

For those who might be interested in the progress of the eagles on Hornby Island in British Columbia, one little eaglet emerged out of the two eggs, and there is still hope that the second one will hatch, but it needs to happen pretty soon. I must say, that little eaglet is the cutest thing, and watching Mom or Dad Hornby feed it, so tenderly and carefully, makes me wonder anew how anyone could see this and not be filled with heartfelt admiration. Take a look at the threesome (and maybe soon to be four) here. (If you don't see the eaglet, it's under the eagle in the nest, along with the unhatched egg. Go down the page to the "Hotspots" and click on one that says the eaglet is being fed, if you want to get a quick look at her.) Happy May!
:-)