Ferries, Flowers and Fixing

I can't help but think that Linda will recognize this location. A couple of hours drive took me to Bath, recently, to meet a friend for lunch. I opted to take "the scenic route" home and that included a very short ferry ride.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I love ferries, getting out of the car and feeling the crisp breeze over the lake or river. I suppose it stems from ferry rides from Kingston to Wolfe Island (in my youth) as well as others encountered in travels. Like the Wolfe Island ferry, the Glenora one is a free trip.

Back home again, a few more crocuses had popped up in the garden.

A particularly welcome sight was the discovery of new peony shoots. Come June, there will be generous-sized, deep pink blossoms on this plant. I'm wondering how many, as this is my newest peony; it was planted from a piece of another one in the garden and has had a couple of years to get established in this spot.


In this photo, you can see a clematis swirling up the arbour and New Dawn roses dripping down from it. That was last June. This June will show a different story. Take note of the arbour shots on the right. Many of the slats, horizontal and vertical, were loose or had fallen off as a result of the rose canes winding themselves in among them. The rose has now been (severely) cut back, as well as the clematis wrapped up in it. I'm hoping they spring back to life, rejuvenated, and that I haven't harmed them.

Some new wooden slats have been cut and attached with a combination of nails and screws. I thought I'd been so clever in getting galvanized nails, so that they wouldn't rust. I'd nail a slat into place and then move to the next, just to have the previous one detach from the vibration of the hammering. Hence, the addition of screws. I wouldn't want a carpenter to look at my handiwork, but everything is in place now and waiting to be stained the same blue you see above. That will be sometime after the current rainy period. (I zipped out yesterday morning to put down grass seed and take advantage of  the predicted soggy days.)

Spring is springing, if in a cooler and slower manner than usual. Nevertheless, hyacinths are blooming, tulip leaves are getting taller each day, and the grass is now green. Inside and outside jobs are multiplying on the list. I'd better get to them.

How is your "to do" list looking?

Thank you very much for visiting today. 

Petals and Stitches

After a long wait, crocuses have started to appear in the garden. With equal predominance, however, I'm discovering small holes that have been dug. I suspect that explains the healthy looking squirrels this spring. (I've noticed some reddish ones, as well as the usual grey and black; must be the "good eating" in my yard.)

Colour choices for little knitting projects have been influenced by this new season, or earlier, by the anticipation of it: fresh greens, sky blue, lovely lavender, sunny yellow, and sprightly coral.

For those who may be interested, here are some pattern links on Ravelry:
Lavender and yellow kitchen cloths
Greek Key design
Coral hearts:
Green heart

Back to seasonal choices, they also occur inside my house. When fall arrives, I want cozy warm throws and pillows. Come spring, lighter and brighter colours call to me. Even some items on the walls move from room to room. The autumn scene print in the dining room migrates to a room at the back of my house, and the old mirror with the leaf-coloured frame comes forth.

Changes and choices (seasonal or otherwise) can be eye-opening, surprising, rewarding and, on occasion, come with a pair of spring-green eyes.  After 2 months here, my foster puss, Claire, is still waiting to be adopted.

From my (our) home to yours . . .

 Happy Easter

Happy Passover

Happy Spring

 

Thank you, as always, for visiting and for your comments.
-Karen

A Bloggers' Tea with Poppy View, Lavender Cottage and A Garden of Threads

Front Window

About a week and a half ago, Poppy ( Poppy View) shared an open invitation to join her for tea at The Old Curiosity Tea Shop, not far from Toronto. I wasn't going to turn down the chance to meet her; I get so much pleasure reading about this transplanted Canadian's life in Greece and seeing the gorgeous colours of her home, the countryside and the sea.

Judith, Yours Truly, Poppy and Jen
Thank you to the waiter for taking this photo.

Having now spent a few hours in her company, I would say that Poppy's heart is as warm as her smile.

It was also a great pleasure to finally meet Judith (Lavender Cottage). She was very kind to me when I began blogging, giving bits of advice and encouragement. I enjoy reading her posts and seeing her appreciation for nature, gardens, and tea parties. If I knew five percent of what this generous Master Gardener knows about plants, I would know a great deal more than I do now.

Her friend, Jen (A Garden of Threads) is also a Master Gardener. I will now be visiting Jen's blog regularly; her photographs are remarkably beautiful and have a delicate, ethereal quality to them. Photography, I learned, is clearly a passion for her.

Our first course, followed by more than enough sweets.

Along with plenty of conversation, there were pots of tea, tiny sandwiches and a staggering number of dainties for dessert.

I'm very glad to have met these women and found that my sense of community grew through this experience. (They were certainly gracious when, having zigged where I should have zagged, I arrived late.)

Should you have the opportunity to meet other bloggers, I suggest you take advantage of it. All it takes is a special someone to get the ball rolling.

 

Doing what bloggers do; keep those cameras handy!

Thank you, Poppy, for bringing us together.

If you are not yet acquainted with these bloggers, please pay them a visit:

Jen at A Garden of Threads

Judith at Lavender Cottage

Poppy at Poppy View

Wishing you a lovely day,

Karen

Spring has Sprung (to some degree)

☀Sunlit Sunday, my winter link-up, has been put to bed and it's time to celebrate the new season. I'll be picking my own tulips in May, but (for now) these purple ones are adding a jolt of spring to my living room. All but a few patches of snow have melted and, eventually, I imagine the ice in the rain barrel will do the same.

This morning, I  dug out a wreath for the front door

and spotted a bit of yellow on the forsythia branches I'd brought inside a week or so ago. It will be quite some time before the whole shrub is ablaze with yellow.

The loveliest thing indoors is Claire, who has yet to be adopted. I was pleased that my foster girl stayed in the same room when I had a friend over yesterday. Part of me wondered if she'd run for the hills, or under the bed, but she's clearly developing the social graces!

In the garden (insert three cheers) there are snowdrops in bloom.

All is well when the snowdrops outnumber the snow patches.

It's time to move from this chair and pick a project that needs doing. I wonder what the best way is to remove paint from door hinges . . .