Finally, Spring!

Spring has finally arrived here in north central WI., can you believe it?

The rains have been plentiful, almost toooo plentiful, but the trees are blooming their little hearts out.
Apple blossoms at the farm
Common Lilacs/Sweet!
The Chicken Dance
Sweet Mama by her Ruffled Pansies
Mica Rock
Tree Swallow Peek-a-Boo
Mom and her Impatienc from Sis Colleen
Gram B's Forget-Me-Nots and I have not forgotten you
Chestnut Tree in bloom
Just because it's pretty~~~
Bee-u-ti-ful....the bees were a humming steady
An unknown Apple blossom looking pretty cool
A Hummingbird coming in for a landing during a weekend move.
Grandloves Sy and Ry getting a closer look at things with the microscope. I love their curiosity!
A ' dream ' break during the move.

Marsh Marigolds ( Cowslips ), as we call them
Wild White Wood Violet with natures fertilizer in lower right corner
Swamp Saxifrage
A Nodding Trillium by the cabin in the woods.

I hope you enjoyed my weekend strolls. It was one of the most peaceful weekends as we watched our son and his boys load up the trailer and move to their own home. It's beautiful and we wish them well.

In the meantime, I have gardens to finally plant and lawns to mow. I won't be here as often this summer but I will still read your entries and comment when I can. Summer is so busy here, and by time I get back in the house, it's going on 9 p.m. and late suppers.

Along with it usually comes, complete, wonderful exhaustion.

Have a great summer loving the weather, family outings, graduations, weddings, birthdays, etc. Make every second count.

BlessYourHearts

Come Along

Yes, we had frost last night, well, not just frost, but a hard freeze.

Come along, let's take a stroll. I did cover some of my more fragile plants, but not all.
Click on any of the pictures to enlarge your view. And, Yes, that is frost on my lawn, the water hose was frozen shut as well as the hummingbird feeders. BRRRR!

frost tipped Hyacinth
Blanket-covered were the Quince
Does anyone know what this blooming tree is? I cannot find it. I am thinking it's perhaps from the cherry or plum family...anyone? I'm stumped for the first time in a long time. It's a mystery to me. Even Mom wasn't sure. It's also very beautiful and just as fragrant just off the edge of the lawn on the woods side.

Great Gram T's Monkshood
I hung another birdhouse with the help of Bill and his tractor. He lifted me in the bucket high enough to reach the branch to hang this gourd birdhouse. Scary venture. Not recommended for the faint of heart. I do not like heights but I couldn't get my dear man to give up the control of the tractor. He had me right where he wanted me. Then he asked if I wanted to come back down slow or fast. Ha!!! Funny, Bill!
The fiddleheads of my Cinnamon Fern are starting to unfurl. Do you see how they get that reference to a fiddle?
Neat, huh? I couldn't help but take pictures down the throat of the fern.

Pretty cool how each leaf unfurls from the center, up and out. There are still a few more rising to the top of the show. Once these are completely opened, they will easily reach 5-6 ft. tall or taller. I loveum!
This one is still quite tight to the ground. Way down the center are more leaves just peeking out of their winter home.

Under the mystery tree is a well naturalized bed of Lily of the Valley. I will be watching for them to open. They, too, are so full of perfume.
a very healthy wild raspberry branch
My Bleeding Heart is pretty sad. I didn't think it would need to be covered as they are quite hardy, but it took a lickin' last night, looking all sad. Hopefully, they will perk up once the sun shines warm again.
I love the bright greens of the Deep Purple Mini Iris grasses. They seem to have weathered the freeze quite well. Time will tell.
And last on this stroll, one of my absolute favorite wild flowers, the Wood Violet that the birds must have planted for me at the feet of the Beebalm.

I hope you enjoyed the walk around the yard. I know you had to grab a jacket, but I'm still glad you came along. Come on in and we will have a hot cocoa with marshmallows.

Do stop again.

BlessYourHeart

From Awww to EeeeGads

There is so much excitement in the spring air. I am one who cannot wait to see the Whitetail Fawns when their mothers first bring them out into the open. I'm still waiting.

The first two pictures are from about 14-15 years ago, as the boys are now 21 and 28, but the excitement remains the same. Just a few days ago, a doe dropped (gave birth) to a fawn or maybe it's twins, at the woods edge. She is staying close around the barn and the lawn, keeping a watchful eye on her babies. She looks like only a yearling herself, but very attentive to her job as a new mother.
I'm anxious for her to bring her fawn or fawns out for the first time. This tiny fella is supposed to be hidden under the Rhubarb leaves. Since we were on an annual MN. fishing trip, we did not get to see this so close up as the boys and their Grandmother. The boys couldn't wait to tell us all about the fawn they were priveleged to kneel next to, but were told ' not to touch.' If a baby animal or bird is touched by human hands in the wild, there is the unfortunate 'chance' that the mother will abandon it. Andy and Sam have been in the 'wild' all their lives and respect the temptation, thanks to their nature education from Grandpa & Grandma O and the rest of their elders.
Seeing these pictures again, makes me anxious to see if we have twins again. The deer and their off-spring always return to their birthplace to start their own family, so we have had the pleasure and honor of seeing many generations play in our field and lawn. I still have a trail camera out so I'm also hoping to get some unique natural pictures.

On another more disturbing note., look what was crawling up the bathroom wall!
picture from the internet

We had a Pseudoscorpion!!!! Apparently they are in just about every home. They like damp areas and the indoors. They are so tiny and creepy-looking. They do resemble a scorpion but are missing the stinger. The pincers look gruesome enough to give them respect. They sure are ugly, but tho they carry venom in their claw, they are so tiny that they are harmless to humans and animals. No matter, cause, I hate these lil uglies.

Now that I've given you all the creepy-crawlies., have a nice night. Ha!

Here's hoping you see little fawns with bright white spots and No Psuedos.

Thanks for stopping by in your busy day. Please leave a comment. I love to hear from you and

BlessYourHeart

Power's Out Again

Though we have had our share of power outages already, this spring, my prayers go out to all of the tornado victims throughout our country, our state of WI included.

Early in the evening, it was already dark out. So dark, we almost had to call our ' game ' due to darkness, until we lit the oil lamp to finish a game of Golf. Dang, foiled again! Since the guys were up a game a piece on me, they decided to call it a night. Chickens! Be afraid, fellas, be very afraid. LOL
Finally, around 7, the sun came out, still raining, and a gorgeous double rainbow appears. Click on the picture for a closer look-see across our lush green field.
Behind the load of firewood and behind the apple branches on the patio table in the next picture, you can see a slab of concrete where the boat shelter used to stand. Last week's storm took it down along with some roofing on the barn and a few dozen trees on our cabin property. We were lucky, compared to so many others throughout the country.

Besides delivering firewood to Glidden in the middle of yesterdays storm, getting pelted with hail and hard rain, our weekend was not all bad.

We had a great time at a surprise birthday party for one of Bill's co-workers and

we did manage to plant a few flower pots, clean up more lumber, nails and tin from the downed shed, made more firewood, all in-between inclement weather.

Here's praying for you if you were amongst the worse hit by the wrath of Ma Nature. She is trying to tell us something, ya think?

Have a great week everyone. The USA is going to have rains nearly everywhere sometime throughout the week except for the far south and southwest. If any of you are from those areas, the rest of us will gladly share our ' soakings.'

BlessYourHeartsAllYa

Gardeners Know the Best Dirt

Gardeners really Do know the best dirt, but sometimes just the pillow it is stitched on is of any help. Does that make any sense? Of course not, unless that pillow is the only relief in sight. I have been very 'pained' lately, so gardening is sorrily on the back shelf.

Nuff said. So
on to getting organized with my garden plans again. It clears the soul, ya know.

Physical agony is making me stay inside on our ' finally ' gorgeous days. It is not making me a happy camper/gardener! Needless to say,

my garden leaves a blank page thus far, for 2011. Not like other garden sketching dating way back to 1983, when I started keeping track of what goes into my gardens and where. I also started a journal tracking the success of perennials planted. I would note where these were placed, how well they did or didn't do. It was also important to note whether or not the unsuccessful plants failed due to weather, insect damage or neglect. ( I sure wish I had done this way back in the late 60's when I first started serious gardening. )
A Barnyard Garden is one still on my wish list. By time I would get the veggies in and flower beds weeded, mulched for another year, etc., I was usually too exhausted to still plant this lil' dream. Maybe this year. Everything is getting a late start as it is, so am I already talking myself out of it? Geeeeez Louise!
Notes are essential for me. I have been a list maker-note taker, all my life and I don't see it changing. It's part of the little bit of organizing I do, Do! I may not accomplish all that's listed on my many lists, but at least it is a reminder of what should get done, whether it's in my gardens or groceries.
So, at least for the next few days, I will just be making more lists, organizing my Garden Organizer, while I rest my neck and back.
My advise for today to all gardeners in cyberspace, Watch your Back. You need your spine to stay neutral and strong or suffer the consequences. Stay healthy so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I'm so happy you came by and

BlessYourHeart