Spring has arrived!!

I really had begun to question whether Spring came to Riga, but this week--on April 1 (and it wasn't an April Fools' Day joke). The sun shown all day long, and has done so each day since. It's warm enough that I have quit wearing my boots and today went on our errands without scarf or gloves. It feels so great!!!

And yesterday I saw my first flower. A little tiny, tiny tulip or lily of the valley type of flower. The people who take care of the grounds around the apartment, and around other buildings, use stick brooms to sweep and to rake the dirt. They also pick up all the alcohol bottles thrown on the ground, as well as any other trash. And the grass is coming up in some places. I'm told they only mow the lawns a couple of times a year. The grass is more a wild grass like you see in a forest area.

A couple came to the office on Wednesday from Moscow. American missionaries serving in Russia have to leave the country every 3 months for visa purposes. They don't all come to Riga, but we've had a few. This couple said Moscow is so dreary, with very tall apartment buildings everywhere and not so many trees as we have. They also talked about the lack of food, at least varieties of food. Sister Gubler took her to Rimi's and she loaded up on soup packets and other things she can't get there. She said she's fixed spaghetti 26 different ways. We decided Riga isn't so dreary and that we are blessed to have the variety of food that we do have.