Spring Sproings Onward

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I look forward to seeing the tulips in blossoms.  I particularly like the sassy red ones, but the red ones are not all the same.

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Our tulips are not all red.  This yellow one seems to prefer less gaudy company.

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She fits in well with the daffys, don’t you think so?  They are all so nice.  The daffodils also come in different shades and hues.

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This daffy sure looks pale to me.  It is, however, one of my favorites.  Periwinkle blossoms add a nice contrast.

Haven’t had much time to spend here of late.  I did get the garden tilled and have the fence back in place.  Next time (whenever that comes), I may share with you some garden scenes.

More Signs of Spring

The following pix are a week old.  I meant to post them earlier this week, but life intervened.

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Lots of daffodils and more opening each day.

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I love the friendly blossoms on the ground cover.  We call it myrtle, but you may know it as vinca or periwinkle.

Meanwhile out in the garden . . .

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Rhubarb is greeting the spring.  These leaves have been touched with frost.  (Remember this is from last week.)

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What a happy sight to see the first shoot of giant garlic breaking through.  It is a promise of another good year.

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Then we come to the end of another beautiful day.  Time for a good night’s sleep.

Looks Like Spring Has Sprung

Saturday, I went on an inspection tour.  This is the first thing I saw.

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We used to have several crocuses, or are they croci?  The beautiful colors makes this one my favorite.  It is also the last one that remains.

Snowdrops are still in blossom, but will very soon be gone.

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Our snowdrops appeared as if by magic a few years ago.  The good news is that they continue to thrive and multiply.

Very near the crocus and the snowdrops, I saw these beauties in the yard.  I really enjoy their happy appearance.

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My guess is that you are also enjoying spring at your house.  I certainly hope so.

Two Windows on the Storm

Just when it seemed that winter had ended, wintry weather returned over the weekend.  Saturday, inspection revealed a low oil level in our generator.  I made it to the auto parts store with eight minutes to spare before their closing time, returned home and filled the engine to the proper level.  That felt good to be ready . . . just in case.

Heavy winds had been blowing for some time when the rain began.  All night Saturday, I could hear the howling wind and the rain beating on the house.

Sunday, I rose to look out upon the world.  This scene greeted me.

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That view is through a north-facing window, not a shower door.  Church meetings had been cancelled.  It was a great day to sit inside and read.

A bit later I looked out again.  This time through a west-facing window.  This poor fellow did not appear to be enjoying the weather.

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Overnight temps held about freezing.  Monday saw them rise slightly.  The trees are slowly dropping their loads of ice.

Despite all that harsh weather, I can see Sylvia’s miniature daffodils in bloom.  I’ll try to get pix later, but other duties beckon to me.

A week from today, the forecast is for a sunny day with a high of 62 F.  Now that’s more like it!

Winter Went Out Like This

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While the last day of winter ended like this yesterday, it seems that spring has been with us for a few weeks.  I zoomed out and captured a second image.

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The two contrails in the sky illustrate that while life is laid back in our neighborhood, overhead there are people rushing around on their self-appointed rounds.

Personal Note

The podiatrist removed the pins (Kirschner wires) from my toe.  The examples below are used for wrist repair.

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The wires in my toe were three-inches long and had yellow tips on the bent, blunt ends.  A couple of twists and a firm pull and they came out without any pain.

This week I’m able to wear regular shoes again.  After seven weeks in the walking boot, the first step in a regular shoe was very difficult.  Fortunately it didn’t take long to readjust to the thinner shoe.  It also feels good to have both feet on the same level (the boot is an inch thicker than my shoes).

Sylvia

This is Sylvia’s second week of spring cleaning.  Today she started with her craft supplies.  Looks like it will take a while to get through them.  I notice that the trash can is filling up with lots of dried out markers and pens plus other no longer useful items.

Signs of Spring

Our snow drops bloomed early this year, but I’m waiting for signs of life from the daffodils.

Spring birds are showing up in the neighborhood.  I’ve seen robins, sand hill cranes, Canada geese, turkey vultures, red tail hawk, and others.

In well shaded spots, patches of snow still remain.  I expect more before warm weather rule prevails.

More Spring Beauty

Mild temperatures and plenty of rain has made this season a spring to remember.

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Lots of daffodils and tulips add plenty of color to the flower gardens.

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I particularly like the tulips.

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This red, yellow and black may be my favorite.  Looks almost like an insect there in the middle, doesn’t it?

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Lots more yellow out on the lawn where dandelions blossom.  Cherry and apple trees are also blooming.

I have tilled the vegetable garden and Sylvia has planted peas, parsnips and radishes.  We have the first picking of asparagus.  It is very tasty and went well with our evening meal.

Love Those Spring Flowers

I love spring flowers.  Don’t you?  I recently saw these growing on the lawn.

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Not too far away (just a few steps) I also saw these.

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While I was looking for signs of life a pair turkey vultures were searching for something else.

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Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera with me yesterday as I carried the trash down to the side of the road.  I actually saw a pileated woodpecker for the first time in my life.

More Sightings

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During a cleanup session, Sylvia and I noticed that the crocus was more open.  I grabbed this shot and then went back to trimming branches and picking up sticks.  Heavy spring winds have brought down a lot of smaller branches.

About a week ago, in the evening dusk, I saw eight deer in the small field beyond the lawn.  (The neighbor uses this area for a hay field.  I don’t have to mow, and he gets feed for his cattle.)  Those deer were enjoying spring.  The young ones would run as fast as the wind and turn quickly and do it some more.  Soon they disappeared into the thicket and disappeared from sight.

Last Thursday, Sylvia was at the wheel as we exited the expressway at 36th St in Kentwood.  As we approached Kraft, I looked and on the slope beside this busy street (five lanes) I saw a number of large lumps.  It took a moment for me to realize it was a group of wild turkeys.  They had their heads tucked under their wings to protect them from the wind-driven near-freezing rain.

Spring Flowers — A Beautiful sight

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The snow drops are looking great.  Appropriate for today.  Starting last night, we had snow.  Fortunately it wasn’t the three to five inches indicated in the forecast.  With above freezing temperatures, the snow is not lasting long.

Earlier, I managed to capture these images.

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Daffodils have begun to blossom.  These are miniatures–very nice.

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I can’t remember the name of these beauties that grow on the lawn near the barn.  Can you help me with that?  Later, the center will develop more yellow.  They bring joy to those who view them.

April — Do You Love Her?

It was April 1 and coming out of the barn, I decided to check on spring flowers.  The snow drops looked great.  Then I saw a splash of rich color.  Was it possible?  The previous two years the crocus had not appeared.  I had feared it was dead.

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As you can clearly see in the photo, the crocus lives on.  It seems even more alive being surrounded by dead leaves and stalks.

That “find” made my day.  And to top it all off, the sunset that evening was gorgeous.

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I slept well that night.