“Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy, Wilbur – this lovely world, these precious days . . . “ E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Ohio winters proved too much for the bench that once belonged to artist Claire Cressler. Replacing the top has been on my to-do list for a number of years. Initially the plan was for tile, but the weather would again be a factor and the combined weight of the iron base and the tile would make moving it inside too difficult. Plan two was for wood painted a deep shade of red, but I liked the look of the plywood and trim too much to cover them up – and both were just rustic enough to accommodate some quick lettering along the edge.

Although this is a hopeful passage, there’s a strong feeling of melancholy, assuaged by the reminder that the world really is lovely, our days are indeed precious and, yes, spring will come again. It’s a pleasure to live with Mr. White’s words.