In the Garden

 No clever words,

just some simple blue, white and yellow blooms...

some lush leaves and pretty petals...

and a blast of brilliant colour.

I'm linking to "Mosaic Monday" at Little Red House. 

Wander over there for a visit. Mary's photography is breathtaking.

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them.

Weekend Bits and Pieces

Yesterday afternoon, I  headed out to pick up my tax return and swing by one of the local garden centres on the way home. (I love the frills on these!)

Generally, I have pansies planted earlier than this, but it had been so chilly that it didn't "feel" like that time of year. Armed with a coupon for 79 cent 4 cell packs, I picked up some for pots.

I'll be sure to plant them this weekend,  prune a few shrubs, buy and spread some weed/feed product...

...do some laundry, make some soup, visit a couple of open houses, read, knit...

That's the plan.

I watched part of an old tv show rerun yesterday and one character said, "Planning is not doing."

In a minute, I'll be off!

What are you doing this weekend?

Do tell.

Mowing and More

It was a sun-shiny day and time to start "keeping up with the Joneses". The occasional neighbourhood lawn mower had roared into action lately and I thought I had better dust off my beast and mow the dandelions (and some grass) for the first time this season.

With an electric mower one gets to dance over, under, and around the incredibly long extension cord. I hope the neighbours enjoyed this display of my middle-aged dexterity. There's nothing that adds a little thrill to mowing like the threat of a power surge through your body if you run over the cord.

I did indulge in a little interlude of browsing between tackling the front yard and the back. It makes me very happy to see that the peonies are coming along. I particularly like this one; it stands upright without a ring or cage of any kind, even when the richly coloured, heavy blossoms cover it. Come back in June and you can see them. 

This butterfly and some friends were flitting around here and there.

Not all were this cooperative!

It felt great to get some fresh air today,  weed the flower beds out front and mull over the easiest way to get rid of a multiplying multitude of dandelions in the lawn. Still working on that last one, so if you have any environmentally friendly tips, please let me know.

Happy Spring!

"Just Wait Until This Afternoon"

Should I be knitting some little flower-sized sweaters? 

There is a forecast for rain and snow over the next day or so.

 

Some flowers were lured by the unusually early spring warm and coaxed into blooming.

It may be time for them to curl up and reconsider their options.

.

As for me, I'm off to have lunch at a friend's home later this morning. I'd better find a cozy turtleneck sweater and choose between gloves or mittens. A few minutes ago, the meteorologist on the radio commented, "Just wait until this afternoon!"

Spring. It's full of surprises!

How are things with you?

The Lake

I mentioned in "A Woodsy Walk" that the stroll also included time by the lake.

There is a long, steep drop beneath this piece of land. 

Erosion has clearly taken place, but the trees are, nonetheless, hanging on to life.

Their grip may be tenuous,

their eventual fate inevitable,

but still they dig in, grab hold, and proudly stand their ground.

The lake stretches out well into the distance.

Land is not even visible, just a barge on the horizon.

 From this perspective, one could believe this massive expanse to be an ocean.

I'll hush now. 

Enjoy your own private moments by the water.

 

Care to share a thought?

A Woodsy Walk

It was a gorgeous and sunny today, just the kind of day to throw on a spring jacket and head to the woods.

Who knows when you may be lucky enough to see a wood nymph or two!

There were eleven of us: some walkers, some birders, some out just for the fresh air. We spotted a variety of birds, including a nesting Great Horned Owl.

One would think I'd have a photo or two of feathers, but no luck. 

I did enjoy the various songs, though.

There was, of course, the woodland flora.

Red trilliums.

Bloodroot.

  Marsh Marigolds.

We also saw the lake; I'll show those photos next time. There is something mesmerizing about being near the water...and this lake has plenty of it!

What were you up to today?

A Few Blooms (and a Weed)

I'd say this tulip is about a month early. 

There it is, half hidden by a weigela bush, but shining through with the cheery red petals.

Weedy patches sprout up now and again and I feel like I should have mastered how to deal with them at this point, in the garden and in life.

But, "spring has sprung", "hope springs eternal" and all that jazz!

After all, some magnolia trees were hit hard by our strange weather conditions, but my tree is starting to bloom. That bodes well for the future, wouldn't you say?

☀ Sunlit Sunday (#15): Last "Link-Up" for the Season

"Sunlit Sunday" was created as a means to share a little sunshine during the long, grey days of winter.

Spring has arrived in this part of the world and soon there will be plenty of  blooms to rival the orchid blossoms inside my home.

This will be the final "Sunlit Sunday", for now. 

Thank you so much to all who have linked posts, whether once or many times. I've enjoyed learning how to set up this meme and visiting every guest each week.

 Let's reconvene next winter, shall we?

 Bring a friend. 

I'll bake something. 

(Maybe I'll slip in a little gathering now and again before the snow flies.)