Touches of Spring... and Winter too

Spring moments are here!

Our first family of robins has arrived...

Ducks and geese are back, swimming in the open waters again.

A quiet moment in the frigid waters.

I spotted this blue heron a good ways off... and even with my zoom lens, this is as close as I could get.  And it wasn't long after he spotted my lens, he was off and away, so this one shot had to do!

This is the time of in-between seasons with the cold wind blowing off the snow-capped mountains and yet spring is doing her best to settle in with warm sunshine, blue skies, and the arrival of robins and geese.

It was a cool sunshine-y blustery day, with the clouds sailing effortlessly along the horizon, hurried along by the brisk winds.

So nice to see these lakes, just a few weeks ago that had been ice-covered, now calm and crisp on this breezy spring day.

Nothing green growing in the marshes yet...

One of the first Idaho wildflowers to bloom in early spring, the buttercup has begun to grace the hillsides around us.



Did you know that this beautiful flower is poisonous? I did not either, but on visiting the Idaho website for wildflowers, this is what it said:

Ranunculus glaberrimus) 
POISONOUS!

History: The Buttercup gets its name because of the resemblance of the shiny petals to a cup of butter. "Ranunculus" is taken from the word "rana" which is the Latin name for frog and is a reference to the aquatic habitat of some of the Butterucps. The species name "glaberrimus" means very smooth. 

Description: This "first sign of spring" has bright, shiny yellow flowers which turn white with age. It has 5 to 8 petals, sometimes more, and numerous stamens and pistils. Stems can have one to several flowers with both entire and divided leaves. It can appear as early as the latter part of March in lower elevations and is flowering in mountain valleys in May. 

Habitat: This spring jewel can be found in several habitats ranging from sagebrush flats to moist mountain meadows. 

Comments: Buttercups as a group are poisonous. One species contains principles so acrid and poisonous that it will cause stomach pain if even a small portion of a leaf is eaten. It can also cause inflammation and blisters if applied to the skin. They can also be poisonous to livestock. The Sagebrush Buttercup, however, is an important spring food of blue grouse.

USDA Buttercup

The fields are beginning to respond to the sunshine and warmer temperatures, and it won't be long now, and the grass will be green!

Riley, Annie and I on our evening walk.  We climbed a steep hillside, and all of us took a moment for a breather at the top.

It felt good to be out hiking without needing boots! Our snow has completely melted, tulips are steadily growing in the garden, and the mud is drying up... why we've even got dust now on the gravel road!  With just a day or two of sunshine and wind, we went from mud to dust! But at this point, I am thankful for no more mud!




This happy package arrived in the mail, and a sweet little girl was hoping there was something in it for her.. and there was!  I won a spring giveaway that Carla from The River had, and in her note to me, she said: "Give that little pup a pat from me"... well, I was only too happy to oblige!



Carla sent me a lovely package of goodies, so very sweet of her!  And Riley got that extra pat, with great gratitude :) Thanks Carla for the happy mail!

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I've been spending a lot of time out in my yard and garden getting things back into shape after a long winter.  Lots and lots of raking taking place!  Oh, those pine needles, lol!

I put up this bluebird box last week in our yard close to the bird feeders.  I have seen some activity around it, but I'm not sure if a bluebird family has made it their home yet, but I'm hoping they will.

This morning after nearly a month without snow, it began to snow again.  So far the snow has accumulated about an inch on the ground.  No doubt it will melt quickly once it gets finished snowing.  It is pretty watching it come down!

I went into the garden this morning, and got this picture of little Riley watching from the outside looking in.  No animals of any kind are allowed in my garden right now, and she doesn't think that is fair... doesn't she have the cutest pouting face!

My tulips are growing quickly, and I anticipate the blooms, hopefully within a couple of weeks or so.  I planted these last fall.  I ordered them from Breck's which is an American company which ships the tulips from Holland.  I am eagerly anticipating their blooms to see the rich colors promised in the catalog!

It is nice to watch the snow come down, knowing that it will melt shortly!

Back inside, Riley was thrilled to find a cozy spot curled up with Mister Simba... for the first time ever!  Mister Simba has been slowly warming up to Riley's ambitious gestures of love, and today I saw a break in the clouds... Mister Simba allowed Riley to curl up beside him, and they both were sound asleep at my feet as I typed this blog post.  A milestone made today, lol!

I will be traveling to Texas later this week to spend Easter with both my family and my husband's family.  My 87-year-old grandmother and one of my aunts accompanying her will be flying tomorrow from New Brunswick to spend the Easter weekend with all of us.  I will join them on Thursday.  I ask for your prayers for safe travels for all of us, and that the Lord will bless our time together.  My husband's mother has been very, very ill, and has been in either ICU or the hospital for the last two months, so I am looking forward very much to seeing her too.  It will be a very busy, hectic time, seeing lots of family, and lots of traveling too.  I am looking forward to seeing the Texas bluebonnets too... this is the best time of year to visit Texas, in my opinion :)

If I don't get to post again until after Easter, I wish all of  you a blessed and very special time of celebrating and remembering what our Lord did for us at Calvary!