Strawberry fields all have to start somewhere

One of the best bits about being a Nova Scotia gardener is having the opportunity to catch all the subtle signs of spring that slip under the radar for so many.  
Is it because we spend so much time outside?  Nope!  It is because deep down, good gardeners never lose their childlike wonder at the miracle of growth.  While everyone else is waiting for warm weather, we are out rummaging around everyday to see what new bit of greenery has started for the season!
To be perfectly honest, I was more excited about seeing strawberry plants up this morning than by spotting the first V of geese of the season!
This morning there was a very promising sign in my inbox as well.   The Town of Windsor has just passed a new dog bylaw with encouraging improvements.  While it falls short of my fantasy free lifetime licensing for altered and microchipped pets, this bylaw is a HUGE step forward because:

• it specifically states that the standards of care in the pound must meet the Nova Scotia SPCA Standards of Care ,
• AND it states that any dog that has not been reclaimed within the seventy two hour period must be offered to the Hants SPCA for adoption. ( yes I know that it doesn't say that they have to accept them, but considering that I found out about this from a big fat press release from the society I rather expect they will take all the dogs and send the overflow to Metro ... after all Metro's local AC contractor still isn't sending dogs their way, eh? )
• to be perfectly honest, I don't know if this is new but the bylaw limits anyone registering as a kennel to those who are registered CKC breeders ... that's a nice touch whenever it was put in, eh? 

Well then!   Every new thing ... every first thing offers the potential to become a trend.   Can you just imagine the possibilities?   Mind you, no mention is made of whether or not contractors would be obligated to follow suit.  
Still it would be churlish of me not to congratulate the Town of Windsor for taking such a big step forward.   
Why do gardeners like perennials?  Don't they take time to establish? You bet .. but all the humble little slips and seeds and bulbs eventually spread everywhere and really amount to something.
Every municipality in this province has a different arrangement for Animal Control.   Some, like Colchester and Annapolis have their own pounds.  Others employ contractors to perform some or all of the animal control functions.
Some counties have actual relationships with rescues.   Annapolis and CAPS.   Colchester and ARC. ( Before the keyboards catch on fire, yes Celtic Pets also had a similar relationship but that in itself is a pretty darned good reason for legislating the standard of care, eh? )
So much of the legislation that directly affects our pets is at the municipal level.   Because noone was paying attention, one morning we woke up in Kings County and discovered that we had a Cat at Large Bylaw.    It was by being more proactive that places like Richmond BC now have anti tethering legislation.
My soon to be beautiful big strawberry patch started with a grocery bag full of divisions.   The oregano that runs all around the yard and is such splendid sturdy fill in the pond / play garden began with one package of seeds.
So right here, right now, it is sufficient unto the day to see such a promising start with this.