My Everything Corner

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of how I've been spending these early days of Spring. I've been able to take walks before breakfast again. Transplanting seedlings has taken up a fair bit of time. I've also had some time to get creative with succulents I've overwintered. Exploring the garden for new growth is a daily surprise.

The snow has started to melt and that is when I love to go for drives to enjoy the changing landscape. It's not just the water everywhere that makes this time of year so interesting, the returning wildlife (mainly birds) has my camera clicking again. I didn't get many opportunities, but here are a few. Those eagles really keep their distance!

Spring seemed to be coming on in a hurry, but the temperatures have dropped and the seasons are changing at a snail's pace.  I don't mind though.  This slowness is giving me more than enough time to do a thorough cleaning before all my time is devoted to the outdoors once again.  Almost all the snow is gone and walking around has become much easier.  The first time I went out on clear roads with nothing but runners, jeans and a light jacket, I felt like I was floating. Birds are returning; geese, crows and ducks are all actively welcoming each other back.  Very soon, the nesting will begin, and they won't be so friendly anymore.

Rainy days always get me down, in a good way. Rest is what I need and with the outdoors being windy, rainy and the heaviest of greys, it is easy to allow myself that rest. Oh how I love that pair... The photos I'm sharing today are ones snapped yesterday.  I've been busy planting and I can hardly wait to show you photos in July when all of the annuals I've put in have filled out. Blooming right now are the irises, of which I'm growing two types - Japanese and Bearded.  They are short lived, but oh so lovely. I adore the blooms on the Bearded type while the foliage of the Japanese lends itself better as a backdrop for the entire growing season. Coral Bells are great in that they keep to themselves.  They stay compact, do not spread, and their foliage is lovely.  Most are better suited to dappled shade, but the type I'm showing here does very well in full sun. Ninebark, you gorgeous thing...I love you in all your forms. I have seve...

Today is windy, rainy, cold and all around gloomy. So, I thought I'd focus on the brighter side of things, my indoor Easter décor. Have a very Happy Easter everyone!

Foggy days can be beautiful, but of course if you're traveling they can be treacherous too. On the day I took these lovely photos, a local 17 year old girl was in a bad accident. For the longest time, the only news we had heard was that her back was broken.  We were terribly worried for her, and I said many a prayer for her and the family.  We found out recently that she is not only going to make a full recovery, but that she is already back at home.  Home of course, is where we do our best healing.  I can't tell you how happy I was to hear this news. Too often, people don't get so lucky. 

Good Morning Everyone!   I just wanted to drop in to say hello and say that the weather is finally looking up here. Sunny and 20C is forecast for this afternoon. And to top it off, the winds are supposed to be low, which will be a great relief from yesterday's very high winds. But that didn't hold me back from doing some major yard work. I spent the day cleaning up my favourite area of the yard which is my fire pit and picnic spot. Raking and gathering leaves when it is gusting up to 60 kph is challenging, but it looks great, and I'm looking forward to sitting around the fire later.   There is nothing like beautiful weather to cheer a gal up.  Oh, and did I should mention I've started some seeds.  That helps a lot too.   Everything is still very brown here, but this butterfly brought a little colour back and the way the ice formed overnight was quite beautiful.   Have a lovely weekend...      

I was awakened last night by our first thunderstorm.  There was plenty of fast paced lightening and thunder, one crack that had me nearly jump out of bed.  The sound of the rain relaxed me, as I knew how much work that would save me the following day.  With less work to do today on the yard, I headed out with my camera.  I had been worried about the low number of bees I was seeing, but yesterday I noticed that the numbers have increased dramatically.  They are everywhere and are of every shape and size.  Some are so big, they could be mistaken for hummingbirds. I love the bees, and am so glad to see them back in such numbers.  The threat of their extinction makes me feel incredibly sad, as I cannot imagine a garden without them. Nor, apparently, would us humans be able to survive without them as they are responsible for pollinating so many of the crops we depend on.  Science is working hard at solving this problem and I hope they can find...

All of these photos were taken 2 weeks ago, which doesn't seem all that long ago when put that way. But, when I take a look around my yard, it seems like ages ago.  Seasons are miraculous in how quickly they can transform the scenery.   The lilacs pictured here are done and there is a haze of brown where there were hundreds of vibrant lavender colored blooms that stood out from across the yard.   The sea of yellow has diminished into just a few blooms here and there.  In numbers like that, dandelions are beautiful.   I thought I would toss in another photo of a napping kitty, just because they are so charming when asleep. And the last photo (the "Something Different), is an attempt at blurred motion photography. I really don't know what I think of this one yet, but it was definitely my favourite of the dozen I took.  I'll have to come back to it in a month or two, comparing it to nothing else.  I do like the colors though. ...

There still isn't a ton of yard work to be done, so I just keep walking around, enjoying the milder temperatures and searching for the latest developments of Spring. I'm taking a little road trip west this week end to see a good friend, and I've heard things have progressed a little further over her way, so I won't forget to take my camera.  Also, her neighbors have a fantastic selection of pets.  Maybe they'll let me spend time taking their portraits to share here.  I always have such a wonderful time when I visit, so I'm really looking forward to Friday! Here are a few photos I took this morning.  Pussy willows starting to bloom. Lilac buds. Moss.  I love moss.