PhD in Snow!

Every day we get more snow; it gets piled high and deeper (PhD).

We were able to 'get out' the other day to visit the library and The Crema. Here you see Alina and Evan reading up a storm. They hardly took time to eat their cookies! They are avid readers...just like their mother! We enjoyed a Peppermint Mocha and a visit before the next onslaught of snow. Every day it snows more, from sand-like flakes to spectacularly large ones. It warms up a little in the afternoon with blue skies and sun peaking through to melt a layer, and then the sky closes up again and begins to fall on us. The icicles are dangerously long and heavy outside my classroom studio.

The little boys, William and Wyatt love to build paths for me. This one winds out to the garden for me to dump the compost. This morning it was covered over again. We have about 18 inches in places, more where it has drifted.

The Piece de Resistance (said with a French accent!) is this little primrose I uncovered this morning. Last month I'd gone out to take pictures of the blooms on all the Primroses, and then it snowed. Since then it has snowed all month long almost every day. I needed a pick-me-up and donned all my snow gear to wade into the drifts to push away the snow in order to inspect the bed. I was difinately rewarded with the promise of spring.

Fortunately our snow is feathery light, so piles of it aren't breaking anything, like this bird watering station.

PhD in Snow?

Piled higher and deeper!

Sure Signs of Spring

How about a goblet of Buttercups for your viewing pleasure?

One of my sweet students brought in a handful of Buttercups on Friday as a birthday gift to me (Saturday) without the stems (how else could a child pick them!).

They are floating even still (nearly 4 days later) in this crystal goblet, part of a large collection bought as a gift to my mother from my father on the occasion of my birth 64 years ago.

And then, in the afternoon, a flock of Bohemian Waxwings joined us nibbling the mummified apples (from last fall)still on the tree and on the ground.
There is one Robin in the group above, I believe.

Isn't this sweet... one feeding another?

You can really see the feathery topnotch on this beauty.

Divine blessings inhabited my camera on Friday as I was fortunate to get this shot.

It is very warm and sunny today; the wintersown flowers are peaking up

in their greenhousey containers; and I am starting tomatoes as soon as I finish this.

Spring has sprung, for sure

My Heart Sings!

After a fabulous lunch of Fish Tacos (with chicken instead of fish) I suddenly felt like the serious low-down blues had taken hold of me. After a sunny morning where we were supposed to have snow I was delighted to imagine a brisk walk, but a sudden downpour of rain, sleet and hail prevented me. It lasted only a few moments, but just long enough to convince me I needed a ride to the store for a maple finger. Now, doesn't that beat all?

Anyway, the library is always a nice retreat, and I found an interesting article in the paper to copy for my students, and then I came home to sew, but my machine wanted to throw a conniption fit. Feeling even bluer than blue I stepped outside for a breath on the patio. My eyes spotted a tiny bit of pale green.

Wonder of wonders there are surprises coming up in my yard that make my heart sing. Before we get to that, however, this is some of the soft, bamboo yarn for the next socks. My dear and sweet friend, Stacie has ordered some in brown or green. This is as close as I have, and I think there may be too much blue in it for her...she'll tell me in the comments; I know ;).

Okay on to the surprises in the yard. Below is the first one: Iris, which is coming up all over where I set them out last year.

How about these velvety, thick and fuzzy Hollyhocks. These are in the nursery bed I began last year. I believe they are a dark, rich red.


Below is one of my favorites in the 'first' department: Leopard's bane. It gets tall stalks with bright yellow daisy-like flowers. When I saw these I KNEW spring was near!

Below is the tear-jerker. You may already have all kinds of stuff up, but in the high elevations of Idaho, this season is S-L-O-W. Can you see the small red buds appearing on these Primroses? I really did get tears in my eyes when these presented themselves for inspection.

And, last, but not least, below, Snowdrops are popping out: little, tiny, dear things that make my heart sing songs of praise to our Maker for all He has done for me! Giving me the nod to go out, to inspect, to be lifted up in this long winter of greys and browns.

I don't think I'll need another Maple finger for awhile. They are about a third the size of a maple bar...perfect for a snack when you are bluing things up royally. I'm going to get new hair tomorrow and plant lettuce on Friday.

I'll beat you to the garden; my heart is singing new songs!

Ground Sunshine and a Blizzard

I am featuring a bit of the sun at ground level. Blizzard conditions expoded upon us Tuesday, dropping our spirits right along with snow that blew sideways and stuck for several hours. However this leopard's-bane, blooming near a south window lifted us all! The brilliance took my breath away.

Here it is underneath the Forsythia.

The day before the blizzard struck, I'd placed my started plants on the porch in order to begin the 'hardening off' process. This Boothby's Blonde cucumber is already beginning to set blossoms (and has been moved inside again).

Here's a bit of sunshine surrounding my Bleeding Heart.


The 'piece de resistance' was this heart-stopping bouquet on May Day from my dear friend Rachel. She continues that old tradition of leaving a bouquet after ringing the doorbell and racing away. She has different routines and a variety of bouquets for many of us. Who could embrace low spirits after a gift like this? Thank you, Rachel!

TheThe rain pours and the wind blows as this is written. I take heart; my spirits flag not, for tomorrow is another day ( a warm and sunny one perhaps)!

Shall We Gather at the River?

About a year ago I visited my sister Margy in Battleground, Washington. She took me on a Sunday morning tour of a 'drive-thru' wildlife refuge that I cannot recall the name of today. As we listened to Fernando Ortega sing lovely hymns, which we softly sang along with, we observed the wildlife gathered at the river running through the refuge. I am a birdwatcher from Wayback (which state do you think Wayback is in?), and I was thrilled to see this Great Blue Heron waiting for me.

There were also Egrets in trees, along the bank of the river, and in grassy fields. What a blessing it is to know that on this gray, windy March day with the temperatures rising to more reasonable degrees (39), there is the hope of spring. There is the hope of warm, sunny days with blue skies and birds gathering at the river, the one we to which we will gather in several months!

I am so ready to plant little seeds and watch their little leafy heads pop up. Speaking of which there ARE Daffydowndilliles peeking out this morning in the east garden bed! Hallelujah!!

Bleeding Hearts

I have been looking in my west garden bed for a hint of these darlings, and there is not one tiny anything starting, however, the ground IS still frozen. I just can't stand it! My friend Connie's garden has 'showings' of several kinds of flowers starting, including these Bleeding Hearts. I want so much for these to come back again, as they are a gift from another sweet friend (Rachel) with whom I do garden tours.

They remind me of the 'flip' hairdo I had back in the 60's, piled high by 'teasing'. These pictures were part of my picture-taking frenzy last year.

It is 40 degrees this morning but the ground is frozen. I'm so ready for some more signs of spring!

Spring Has Sprung...I Think!

I kid you not! This robin, along with 3 others, blessed my yard two days ago. Aren't they a sure sign of spring? The two pairs were chatting loudly, singing love songs to each other. I'm so excited because we have old nests in the rafters above my studio/classroom which we can observe easily; perhaps they'll take up residence.

If you click on this fellow above you can see him 'up close and personal', like they used to say in the olympics.

Here are a couple of sparrows who were chatting noisily too. The Flicker came back to roust out the robins in his territory.

And, my favorite, the quails. They are so dear to me because of their ridiculous gait and behaviors that have endeared them to me.

I will also tell you that I was awakened last night about 9:30 pm to the loud squawking of the geese flying north overhead. Maybe because it was dark and snowing they needed to encourage one another. We DO have about 4 inches of new snow this day.