The lupins are already starting to bloom, and the wild roses are just about to bloom out too. My wild strawberries are full of little berries. These usually don't come until closer to the end of May. We have had beautiful sunshiny weather, up into the 80s for several weeks, and I've already had to use our window air conditioner a couple of times! Can you believe it? Most years we never turn the air conditioner on until July. We have also gotten lots of rain. We have had several large rain systems come through with rain that left puddles (which is a lot of rain for us here, as our ground is porous and absorbs moisture very quickly). Needless to say, we are enjoying an amazing spring this year!
I hope you will enjoy the collection of pictures I've taken over the last several days of the springtime moments I've enjoyed over the past week.
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| Rufous hummingbirds visiting the feeder outside my window |
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| My plants just about ready to go in the garden |
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| Our pine trees don't have good branches, so we used a downed tree to make our own "branch" for bird feeders and the flowers. |
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| My Prairiefire Crabapple is in bloom... gorgeous is an understatement! We planted it earlier this spring as a bareroot tree. |
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| Seeing these beautiful pink blooms in my very own yard just makes my heart happy! |
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| A butterfly enjoying the sweetness of the crabapple blooms |
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| I'm reading an encyclopedia.... Organic gardening - so much to learn! So don't call me a walking encyclopedia yet! {grin} |
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A dozen white roses. See that black rose? It is a metal rose crafted for me by my son for Mother's Day.
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| Some lilacs picked from my neighbor's yard and a peach rose handed to me by a lovely lady driving around handing out flowers to friends on Mother's Day. |
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| Treated to dinner on Mother's day.. enjoyed baked salmon with asparagus and a baked potato... wonderful! |
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| My kids surprised me and brought me a greenhouse for Mother's Day! I could hardly believe it! |
We haven't put it together yet, because the instructions call for a specific foundation for the greenhouse, and that will need to be done properly before it is put together. My two very special children put their heads, and their hard earned money together to buy me this greenhouse as a surprise for me. I was incredibly surprised, and thrilled to receive such a special gift from them! They were as excited as I was, to have surprised and blessed me so. :)
Around the yard... a silly tomcat perched on top of the car.
The two Eleanors perched on the roost for the night. It amazes me how the chickens separate themselves, and hang out together with their like kind. I've seen them do it a lot. They don't have a mirror to know what they look like, lol! I'll often see the two Eleanors (can't tell them apart) together, as well as the two Martha's (my two Rhode Island reds) hanging out together in the yard, and roosting at night next to each other.
A new birth on the farm! We let some of our hens sit on eggs fertilized by our one and only Mr. Rudy to see what would happen. I walked out to the coop today to hear loud chirping, and met this sweet baby chick, just an hour or so old. We have three other eggs that are still being incubated by our hens, and we are looking forward to meeting them too!
I hope this sweet little one is a she {smiles}
Exciting days for sure... and more work for me, because now the little chicks who have gotten old enough to not need the light and enclosure, are not too happy about being pushed out of their cozy space by the newcomer, and keep trying to get back in. I've been going out to the coop every hour or so since the little one was born to check on her. She is alone for now, but hopefully by tomorrow or the next day we will have some other little chicks to join her. I'll keep you posted :)
One of the loveliest days we celebrate is the day that we honor mothers. I've been so very blessed in my life with a precious mother who raised me to love the Lord, and who sacrificed in so many ways as we grew up to make sure that we had what we needed. She was a true Proverbs 31 woman, exemplifying the love for her family, praying, loving, and giving. Blessed is an understatement for what this means to me to have such a godly woman as my mother.
And my blessings continued in life, for I had two loving grandmothers who played very important godly roles in my life, and then I married and my precious mother-in-law became like my very own mother. I have been surrounded and blessed by the very best that God had to offer, and I would not be who I am today without these wonderful precious mothers in my life.
I pray that each and every mother, and mothering heart is blessed on this special day that hales the sacrifice and giving hearts of mother's everywhere. I have had many women in my life who have ministered to me just as a mother would, and I am grateful for their presence in my life too. Some of them were never able to give birth to a child, but loved and gave and did all they could, just the same.
For those who are mothers - Happy Mother's Day to all you precious ladies... and for those who never were able to birth a child, yet loved, gave and sacrificed to those around them... Happy Mothering Day, there is a special place in my heart for those of you who have ministered and loved just as a mother would!
I pray that the special presence of the Lord
will be poured out in a great measure
as our precious mothers and loving mothering women
are honored and celebrated on this day!
Once a month, a friend of mine hosts a card exchange at her home. Each lady brings a card that she has designed along with materials for the other ladies to make her card, and then we each make the cards that the other ladies have designed. It is a lot of fun as we stamp, create, and visit! Each month, a theme is chosen, and this month it was "May Flowers".
There were 5 ladies who gathered together to swap cards. I actually brought two cards to swap since mine were small, and simple to make.
This card was designed by the hostess of this monthly event, and I loved how lovely this card turned out using double-sided patterned paper.
Our hostess also blessed us with this lovely little treat bag filled with a package of flower seeds!
This card looks like it would be quite complicated to make, but it really wasn't. We used patterned black and white paper, and sponged red ink onto the flowers, and then covered it with glitter. A beautiful card, and so easy and fun to make.
I designed this pocket card, and included my teacup holder as well for the ladies to make.
It was a lot of fun to make this 3-dimensional card, so pretty and full of spring flowers!
Back at home... some dirt for our garden had gotten delivered.
It is always an exciting time of year when it comes time to till and prepare the soil for planting! I am continuing to enlarge my garden planting area. We have a large 72 x 72' fenced enclosure for our garden, but I am only using a quarter of that size to actually plant vegetables. We are also planting some fruit trees in the garden, raspberries, strawberries, a small wildflower garden, and a herb garden, I have to be careful because before you know it, my garden space will be full!
The chickens have been barred from the garden. It has been their playground for the last few months. They were sitting on my doorstep letting me know how unhappy they were with this turn of events.
A cluck-ooo protest was ensuing.
That is until Roger let them know the porch is HIS domain... and the chickens took their protest elsewhere.
I'm glad I couldn't understand the words Rudy had to say about my decision to bar them from the garden!
My husband and I took a little break, and went for a drive up into the mountains. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly, and windy... but clouds always make the scene more delightful, in my opinion.
From our high vantage point, you could see for miles and miles.
So lovely to see all the beautiful shades of green! The wildflowers here are just getting started. In a month or so... there will be lots of pink, white and purples mixed in with the green.
As we were just enjoying the landscape, a dirt bike came roaring past us, and we watched him as he made his way to the very top of that knoll above. The trail literally goes straight up, and I was worried he wouldn't make it, but my husband assured me that he could tell by how the driver was shifting gears that he was quite experienced in getting the clutch just right, and he was sure that he would make it. And he did, we heard him as he safely reached the top, and then it wasn't long, and he came back down the hill, flying by us in a trail of dust!
Because of the protest of the chickens from being kept out of the garden, I decided to make a truce with them. I moved the compost pile from the garden to next to their coop.
Rudy still had a few choice words for me. I kept my stick handy, just in case things got out of hand. But... soon after he figured out there was lots of nice little compost to munch on... he settled down.
And these are my baby chicks that came to live with us on March 3... oh how they've grown!
They are now leaving the safety of the coop and venturing outside.
They stay very close together as they explore.
They are still learning to fly, and get scared very easily, but day by day they are getting more brave, and exploring farther from the coop.
They love the bushes and trees next to the coop.
So fun to watch them as they explore!
I'll leave you with a picture of this cocky handsome fellow. :)
Have a blessed Monday!
There were 5 ladies who gathered together to swap cards. I actually brought two cards to swap since mine were small, and simple to make.
This card was designed by the hostess of this monthly event, and I loved how lovely this card turned out using double-sided patterned paper.
Our hostess also blessed us with this lovely little treat bag filled with a package of flower seeds!
This card looks like it would be quite complicated to make, but it really wasn't. We used patterned black and white paper, and sponged red ink onto the flowers, and then covered it with glitter. A beautiful card, and so easy and fun to make.
I designed this pocket card, and included my teacup holder as well for the ladies to make.
It was a lot of fun to make this 3-dimensional card, so pretty and full of spring flowers!
Back at home... some dirt for our garden had gotten delivered.
It is always an exciting time of year when it comes time to till and prepare the soil for planting! I am continuing to enlarge my garden planting area. We have a large 72 x 72' fenced enclosure for our garden, but I am only using a quarter of that size to actually plant vegetables. We are also planting some fruit trees in the garden, raspberries, strawberries, a small wildflower garden, and a herb garden, I have to be careful because before you know it, my garden space will be full!
The chickens have been barred from the garden. It has been their playground for the last few months. They were sitting on my doorstep letting me know how unhappy they were with this turn of events.
A cluck-ooo protest was ensuing.
That is until Roger let them know the porch is HIS domain... and the chickens took their protest elsewhere.
I'm glad I couldn't understand the words Rudy had to say about my decision to bar them from the garden!
My husband and I took a little break, and went for a drive up into the mountains. It was a beautiful day, a bit chilly, and windy... but clouds always make the scene more delightful, in my opinion.
From our high vantage point, you could see for miles and miles.
So lovely to see all the beautiful shades of green! The wildflowers here are just getting started. In a month or so... there will be lots of pink, white and purples mixed in with the green.
As we were just enjoying the landscape, a dirt bike came roaring past us, and we watched him as he made his way to the very top of that knoll above. The trail literally goes straight up, and I was worried he wouldn't make it, but my husband assured me that he could tell by how the driver was shifting gears that he was quite experienced in getting the clutch just right, and he was sure that he would make it. And he did, we heard him as he safely reached the top, and then it wasn't long, and he came back down the hill, flying by us in a trail of dust!
Because of the protest of the chickens from being kept out of the garden, I decided to make a truce with them. I moved the compost pile from the garden to next to their coop.
Rudy still had a few choice words for me. I kept my stick handy, just in case things got out of hand. But... soon after he figured out there was lots of nice little compost to munch on... he settled down.
And these are my baby chicks that came to live with us on March 3... oh how they've grown!
They are now leaving the safety of the coop and venturing outside.
They stay very close together as they explore.
They are still learning to fly, and get scared very easily, but day by day they are getting more brave, and exploring farther from the coop.
They love the bushes and trees next to the coop.
So fun to watch them as they explore!
Have a blessed Monday!
Springtime really is here... and while there are lots of birds flying around, these precious birds showed up in my mailbox!
Shirley and Ashleigh, a precious mother and daughter who have become such dearly loved friends of mine... were making these gorgeous little birdies, and I was making these teacup bookmarks... so we exchanged our handmade goodies through the mail.
Simply adorable, and the lovely hand stitching is just amazing!
The little birdies came with pins to attach them to your shirt.
They are soo adorable! I was so thrilled to be the recipient of these beautiful little birdie pins! The beautiful cards I received from Shirley and Ashleigh were so delightful too... a happy mail exchange indeed!
With the arrival of the precious little birdies "by mail"... it coincided with the beautiful promise of spring arriving. I stopped to visit my friend GT in town whose flower beds were spreading the joy of spring.
Glorious red tulips adorning her wakening flower beds...
Is there anything more lovely than the happy faces of tulips in the spring?
Gorgeous pink hyacinths blooming too... their intoxicating fragrance filling the air.
The royally beautiful grape hyacinths added this deep shade of blue to the landscape. Since we just moved into our home late last summer, I have not had a chance to plant such beauties in my yard. This year, that will change! GT gifted me with some of her flowers and bulbs from her yard, and hopefully next spring some of these lovely beauties will be popping up in my very own garden!
A walk in the woods enjoying the lush greenness abounding.. when we saw this snag tree full of holes, it was pretty amazing to see. Usually you see one or two holes, but apparently this old dead tree held lots of food for some wild animal to eat over the winter.
This past week we celebrated our son's 18th birthday. The party was held outside. We had huge piles of brush that were burned and the kids enjoyed the bonfires.
Our daughter turned 20, and our son 18 within the past month... our kids are on the edge of the family nest, about to take off and fly... and as a mother I can tell you that there is a bittersweet joy in this experience! We are so proud of our wonderful children, and yet sad - wondering where the years went with the little pitter-pattering of feet, delightful chatter, and spilt milk clean-ups. But... we must look forward, and not spend too much time gazing backwards, because I want to enjoy every part of the journey of life we are on, and not miss any of the joys that come because of the season we are in today.
More hikes in the woods... enjoying the incredible outdoors around us.
Hiking with a friend and their dog... he found some water, and the joy on his face was contagious... I think we all wished we were a dog just for a minute... able to take a splash and keep on going, no need for a change of clothes, lol... just a quick shake and on to the next exciting adventure!
And some days I wish I had the life of a cat.... {smiles}... they can find the happiest napping spots just about anywhere.. even in the middle of the driveway if needed...lol!
Mr. Rudy and Momma Mia enjoying the sweet taste of spring grass.
He's a handsome fella and he knows it!
... and always telling everyone just how great he is! Male ego... he's got lots of it!
Lovey purplish-blue phlox wildflowers bursting forth in their glory... these flowers grow low to the ground, and their beauty is subtle, gentle, and sweet.
This beautiful spreading phlox that is growing wild everywhere in our yard.. gorgeous is an understatement!
I am wondering if I dug some up and planted in my flower beds if they would grow... I have no idea, but I am going to try it and see :) They are so beautiful!
My neighbor's horse, Jaz... peering at me from across the fence as I worked in our garden... I think she was hoping for a snack or two, but since she is on a strict diet, she got some loving pats and scratches instead :)
This is just a peek inside my world right now... it is a busy place. My time allotted for blogging is very slim right now... and I do hope to find some time this weekend to visit my dear blogging friends and say hello... but for now... spring is a very busy time around here and my visits and posts will be somewhat sporadic. Much love to all of you, and I hope that spring is springing forth in your world today too!
Shirley and Ashleigh, a precious mother and daughter who have become such dearly loved friends of mine... were making these gorgeous little birdies, and I was making these teacup bookmarks... so we exchanged our handmade goodies through the mail.
Simply adorable, and the lovely hand stitching is just amazing!
The little birdies came with pins to attach them to your shirt.
They are soo adorable! I was so thrilled to be the recipient of these beautiful little birdie pins! The beautiful cards I received from Shirley and Ashleigh were so delightful too... a happy mail exchange indeed!
With the arrival of the precious little birdies "by mail"... it coincided with the beautiful promise of spring arriving. I stopped to visit my friend GT in town whose flower beds were spreading the joy of spring.
Glorious red tulips adorning her wakening flower beds...
Is there anything more lovely than the happy faces of tulips in the spring?
Gorgeous pink hyacinths blooming too... their intoxicating fragrance filling the air.
The royally beautiful grape hyacinths added this deep shade of blue to the landscape. Since we just moved into our home late last summer, I have not had a chance to plant such beauties in my yard. This year, that will change! GT gifted me with some of her flowers and bulbs from her yard, and hopefully next spring some of these lovely beauties will be popping up in my very own garden!
A walk in the woods enjoying the lush greenness abounding.. when we saw this snag tree full of holes, it was pretty amazing to see. Usually you see one or two holes, but apparently this old dead tree held lots of food for some wild animal to eat over the winter.
This past week we celebrated our son's 18th birthday. The party was held outside. We had huge piles of brush that were burned and the kids enjoyed the bonfires.
Our daughter turned 20, and our son 18 within the past month... our kids are on the edge of the family nest, about to take off and fly... and as a mother I can tell you that there is a bittersweet joy in this experience! We are so proud of our wonderful children, and yet sad - wondering where the years went with the little pitter-pattering of feet, delightful chatter, and spilt milk clean-ups. But... we must look forward, and not spend too much time gazing backwards, because I want to enjoy every part of the journey of life we are on, and not miss any of the joys that come because of the season we are in today.
More hikes in the woods... enjoying the incredible outdoors around us.
Hiking with a friend and their dog... he found some water, and the joy on his face was contagious... I think we all wished we were a dog just for a minute... able to take a splash and keep on going, no need for a change of clothes, lol... just a quick shake and on to the next exciting adventure!
And some days I wish I had the life of a cat.... {smiles}... they can find the happiest napping spots just about anywhere.. even in the middle of the driveway if needed...lol!
Mr. Rudy and Momma Mia enjoying the sweet taste of spring grass.
He's a handsome fella and he knows it!
Lovey purplish-blue phlox wildflowers bursting forth in their glory... these flowers grow low to the ground, and their beauty is subtle, gentle, and sweet.
This beautiful spreading phlox that is growing wild everywhere in our yard.. gorgeous is an understatement!
I am wondering if I dug some up and planted in my flower beds if they would grow... I have no idea, but I am going to try it and see :) They are so beautiful!
My neighbor's horse, Jaz... peering at me from across the fence as I worked in our garden... I think she was hoping for a snack or two, but since she is on a strict diet, she got some loving pats and scratches instead :)
This is just a peek inside my world right now... it is a busy place. My time allotted for blogging is very slim right now... and I do hope to find some time this weekend to visit my dear blogging friends and say hello... but for now... spring is a very busy time around here and my visits and posts will be somewhat sporadic. Much love to all of you, and I hope that spring is springing forth in your world today too!
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