Could this be Spring?

The temperatures have warmed to more than 70º during the daylight hours. The sky is the most beautiful shade of blue. Even the sky blue crayon can’t capture this color. It is indescribable. 

Upon waking, I recognize a new tone in the way the birds sing. It is different than it was just a few weeks ago. The buds on the Magnolia tree in the front yard have not just begun to swell, but to show color. And in some cases, they are in various phases of flower. As each day warms, there are more flowers. Soon, the tree will be in all its glory. It rarely lasts long. There is usually a heavy rain, windy day, or killing frost that stifles the spectacle,

but seeing this tree in bloom is a joy to behold.

Pear trees throughout the area now show signs of flowering as well. Soon there will be Redbuds, Dogwoods, and a variety of beautiful fruit trees showing off their colors. Daffodils are beginning to show up, bringing the color of sunshine to the muted landscape. This time of year is well worth the wait through a long and often times hard winter. We were quite fortunate this year. Here in my part of the Ozarks, there was no measurable snowfall. In fact, I only saw snow flurries once or twice. The wood stove barely got warmed up.

Outdoor changes are not the only ones taking place. I’ve noticed my own internal clock is adjusting. I feel more energy, a need to tidy things around the house, a desire to rearrange furniture and clean in places that haven’t been seen in a year. It is almost like I am programmed to notice things I hadn’t cared about for previous months. I want to wash the windows. It is like a frenzy to get my own nest in order. Normally mundane chores are not drudgery, but take on a kind of exuberance. And there is music.

Like the nesting birds, for me, there must be music.

I’m not crazy about today’s music, so I listen to the tunes that have marked so many life experiences. Music is so transformative. Daily activities are always better when there is music. While my hands perform cleaning tasks, my mind relates to the music I hear. So many memories…they all come flooding back. Nostalgia is not a wish to return to the past; it is a pleasant experience of joyful remembrance.

Happy Spring!

Happy New Year!

With only 77 more days until the first day of Spring; if this is a sign of things to come, count me in.

The reality is that even though my front yard is seemingly filled with birds I have come to recognize as signs of spring, it really is still winter in the Ozarks. In fact, winter really just began less than two weeks ago. We all know how annoying it is when Walmart puts out Christmas decorations before Halloween, but I just can’t help rushing the season—this season.

Granted the days are getting longer, even if the change is almost imperceptible. But what quite apparent is the appearance of Eastern Bluebirds, Robins, and even a Cedar Waxwing, the first I have seen here in all the 14 years we’ve lived here filling the front yard. Turns out it was just warm enough with the sun shining brightly to melt a little of the ice in the bird bath.

Flashes of blue filled the front yard as dozens of bluebirds flew from one tree branch to another, resting awhile on a tall bush before returning to the bird bath again and again. While most of them relished the drinking water supply, some felt the need to do their own version of the polar plunge as they plopped into the middle and played in the water. It is always great fun to watch my feathered friends, but to see these springtime birds frolicking in the water, well, the sight made this season so much more bearable as we await my favorite season of all—Spring. It won’t be long now.With only 77 more days until the first day of Spring; if this is a sign of things to come, count me in.

The reality is that even though my front yard is seemingly filled with birds I have come to recognize as signs of spring, it really is still winter in the Ozarks. In fact, winter really just began less than two weeks ago. We all know how annoying it is when Walmart puts out Christmas decorations before Halloween, but I just can’t help rushing the season—this season.

Granted the days are getting longer, even if the change is almost imperceptible. But what quite apparent is the appearance of Eastern Bluebirds, Robins, and even a Cedar Waxwing, the first I have seen here in all the 14 years we’ve lived here filling the front yard. Turns out it was just warm enough with the sun shining brightly to melt a little of the ice in the bird bath.

Flashes of blue filled the front yard as dozens of bluebirds flew from one tree branch to another, resting awhile on a tall bush before returning to the bird bath again and again. While most of them relished the drinking water supply, some felt the need to do their own version of the polar plunge as they plopped into the middle and played in the water. It is always great fun to watch my feathered friends, but to see these springtime birds frolicking in the water, well, the sight made this season so much more bearable as we await my favorite season of all—Spring. It won’t be long now.

Must be Spring!

So here we go again...

Love the American Goldfinch

Here's lookin' at you!

All good things must come to an end! :-(

Petunias in January--love it!

The first day of Spring is less than 60 days from now.


While this has been a relatively easy winter, thus far, with temperatures seldom dipping below the freezing mark, that can all change in a heartbeat. 

At of this writing, the temperature here in the Ozarks is a pleasant 38.7º--not too shabby for January.

There have been winter storms all around us. Neighboring states are snow-covered, but we got lucky with a small amount of cold days and a minimum of freezing precipitation. So, where I live, the effects have been minimal. The sun is shining now and any ice out there is melting.

I refuse to let this bother me though. No matter what the weather, I enjoy retreating to my favorite room in the house--our sun porch--which faces south, but also has windows on the east and west. Nothing makes me happier than to see flowers inside when it is cold and often dreary outside.

These petunias were growing in a pot outside this summer. I simply brought it indoors. 

 

I am also enjoying a few begonias that seem to like the big windows and sun shining through them on the sun porch. 

These plants were growing outside and blooming up until it got cold. At that time, I dug up, repotted them and brought them inside. 

I've done the same with some of my favorite herbs; basil, sage, thyme, and lemon verbena. 

Some of those are doing better than others, but I can still snip off a few leaves to throw into a pot of soup now and then. 

I even brought in a hearty Serrano pepper plant. For some reason it is doing better indoors than it did outside all last year.  I wouldn't be surprised if it bore peppers before the season is over. At the very least, I will get some very early peppers.

I am also thrilled to have my old favorite standbys--African violets. 

There was a time that I couldn't get an African Violet to live to save my life. For some reason, that is no longer the case. These two have been thriving here for years. I've even been able to propagate them by leaf cuttings. 

There is nothing that makes winter more pleasant than flowers. With Spring just around the corner, I can't wait to get my hands dirty again. Flowers inside are matched only by flowers outside. C'mon Spring, my favorite time of year.

Gotta love Springtime...

It is April 1. There is no mistaking the signs of the season. Spring is here! I suspect it will be worth the wait. 

My first Spring bouquet. Color, thanks to daffodils and Forsythia; scent thanks to hyacinths.

These asparagus, planted from seed two years ago are still too tiny to pick, but not too small to whet my appetite!

This is a first for this young forsythia. She's a little leggy, so a nice pruning will help for next year.

There can be no better feeling of expectation than seeing the new growth of a bleeding heart plant.

It looks like Spring 2014 is going to be lovely. It looks like this snowy winter was good for the plants. I can't wait to see what else pops up out of the decaying leaves.

For the winter weary, Spring is here!

I consider myself among the winter weary. Even here in the Ozarks, this winter was a little too cold, a little too snowy, and a lot too long. Despite it all, the calendar says it is Springtime, and until this weekend, that was good enough for me. I decided to take a walk around the property though, just to check it out--to make sure. I liked what I saw. I did!

The following are just a few of the subjects I had the pleasure to enjoy as I walked. 

I can't wait to enjoy the sweet fragrance and beautiful colors of the lilacs. This particular plant was here when we moved here nine years ago. It was among several bushes planted in the shade of the house. Then never bloomed until one year when we dug them up and moved them. Now, we get a few more flowers each year.

These lilacs are getting their leaves

Below is a Bradford Pear, intent on flowering. It won't be long now. We have a pair of them in the yard. I'm sure there will be more in the future as they are just delightful little trees. I always marvel at how early they flower. Often times, these are used by landscapers who use them to line driveways, sidewalks, or to decorate a small suburban front yard. We had no such organizational plan when we planted it, except as an anchor for a small garden. Basically, I just like it. Flowering is a plus on this attractive, perfectly shaped, conical tree that is beautiful in every season.

Bradford Pear about to bloom

Oh, the sweet scent of the hyacinth...Is there anything more lovely? I have always loved this sweet staple of the Springtime garden. Rarely do I see the flowering bulbs in a garden center, that I don't go over to take a whiff of its intoxicating fragrance. As one of the earliest flowering bulbs, it remains one of my favorite Springtime garden pleasures.

Soon-to-be white hyacinths

Our property, which sadly doesn't have many wildflowers, is peppered with these lovely little Wild Asters--at least I think that is what they are. They are tiny little lavender clumps and are abundant at this time of year. When I first moved to the Ozarks, I was amazed at the wildflowers that grow in some of the most unusual places. If only people chould be as strong as these tiny woodland flowers. They appear every year, no matter the weather, even if snow is on the ground. They can be found in pathways, in lawns, gardens, and anywhere else they feel like growing. They are tough, little flowers that only make me want more. Their perfect little daisy-like petals are simply lovely. And what a beautiful sight for winter-weary gardeners.

Wild asters

It is a ritual of Spring to look for the daffodils. Like clockwork, they bloom each Spring with a satisfying reliability. They too are tough little flowers that have the ability to brighten any Spring day. It won't be long before these turn into that sunshiny, yellow cupped flower, some of which always make it into the house. Often times, they are the first bouquet of the year. These plants were also here when we moved in. We moved here in January, so I had no idea what was planted previously. What a delight it was to see them pop through the layers of dead oak leaves, and then to produce their lovely yellow flowers. I have since planted many more, in different colors and varieties. I love them all.

Daffodil buds

Who doesn't love the look of a Crab apple tree in full bloom? I am still waiting for that lovely view. This young tree, planted a couple years ago to commemorate Earth Day, just one month away, is still young, but I'm hoping it flowers this year. On our woodland, rocky property, I'm just grateful that any tree we plant survives. This one looks to be in good shape, which pleases me greatly. Crab apple trees are a delicacy for deer. I don't now how they missed this one, since they are never too far away. Lucky, I guess. This will be a pink flowering crab, and I can't wait to see it in bloom. Maybe this is the year...For now, I'm just thrilled to call it a sign of Spring.

Crab apple tree

This is the bud of a magnificent Magnolia tree. I was very worried since just as the buds began to swell, we had a cold, and snowy day, complete with freezing rain. There is a little damage on some of the buds, but overall, it looks like we will have a tree full of flowers very soon. I just love the look of magnolias in bloom.

Magnificent Magnolia

Yes, there will be strawberries! This year, I will mulch with straw, apply diatomaceous earth, and spray a mix of garlic and peppers to ensure that I will get berries. These plants produced beautifully last year, but I didn't get any of fruit thanks to the slugs and sow bugs that ate them all. My turn this year!

Strawberry plants

Finally, one of the best signs of Spring in our yard is 'Bout Time Creek. This is actually a dry creek bed, but as you can see, it is now wet. Love Springtime! In fact, it is about time it is wet, thus the name. This runs through the back yard and as the water trickles from the higher ground east of us, it makes the most lovely music. I could listen for hours.

'Bout Time Creek

It really is Spring in the Ozarks

Despite the variant temperatures that during at least one day this month, it required the air conditioner in the afternoon and heat at night. The calendar really does have it right; it is Springtime. 

This is the best time of year normally--my absolute favorite--even if this year it has been less than ideal. I'm trying hard to enjoy it anyway.

One day it was so warm that hubby and I just had to take a ride to the lake. I don't know how it is for anyone else, but I know there are just days when my psyche needs to see, hear, and smell the water.

We had a picnic lunch at a favorite spot and happened across this duck who must have had the same idea. He had just resurfaced, after a deep dive where he undoubtedly found something good to eat. 

On another day when a cold snap retreated just long enough to take a slow, leisurely walk in the backyard, I was captivated by this old, gnarly cedar tree, a real thing of beauty. 

I couldn't help but wonder what kind of critter installed that rock at the base of the tree. It was obviously being used as a front door to the entrance to someone's den.

One of the most lovely sights to behold, at least in my opinion, is that of the bluebird keeping watch as the female sits on her nest inside one of our many bluebird boxes. 

I love everything about these birds. 

I recall seeing them when I was very young, growing up in a Chicago neighborhood, but they had long since disappeared. It wasn't until visiting Arkansas on vacation that I was re-acquainted with them. Now that we live here, I'm so happy to share space with a bunch of blues. I find that absolutely thrilling.

Of course the hummingbirds are back. We have been waiting, with the feeders in place for almost a month. This year they came back April 13. 

My husband saw them first. I didn't see my first until a couple days later. At first there were only one or two, but they are coming back in some numbers now. By later this summer, there will be the usual feeding frenzy going on. 

Springtime is the time for one of my favorite Holidays--Earth Day. That was yesterday when this picture was taken, of our Earth Day crabapple tree.

I always like to commemorate Earth Day with some kind of tree planting. Even though this one is teensy, I have high hopes that one day it will fill the front yard with fragrant pink flowers. 

Spring really has come to the Ozarks, even if the signs can be rather illusive.

For me, winter storm "Q" stands for quiescent

The most recent winter storm was well warned--or was that hyped? For many parts of the country from the southwest to the southern plains to the east coast, there was a real need for preparedness. For my neck of the woods though--the land of little precipitation--hype more aptly describes the dire warnings that emptied store shelves of bread, milk, and water.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I recall the ice storm a few years ago that caused our power to be out for five days and made my husband John and I return to a kind of pioneer lifestyle. There was fear that this storm could pack a similar punch. Thankfully, it didn't.

What did happen during this storm could be described as some minor inconveniences. We just bought a new stove, since ours was on its last legs after 30 years. It was supposed to be delivered Thursday. Fat chance! We now have to wait an entire week to get it. I hope the factory warranty begins the day we receive it and not the day we bought it. Who know--those few days could make a difference? We will just have to make due with the old one and hope it doesn't set the house on fire.

We also were without television for a short time while the dark clouds that contained thunder sleet parked overhead for a time. That was slightly bothersome, but to be expected.

The one thing about our version of winter storm Q, was that it transformed our normally mundane winter landscape into something spectacular, peaceful, beautiful. While not exactly good for the trees, it provided moisture which they so desperately needed. And, it was beautiful. Waking up this morning, the backyard was especially lovely.

The sun is shining and the ice is visibly and vigorously melting. I can see and hear it as I write this. Soon the trees will stand up straight again. So many of their ice-encrusted buds will grow. Many of the branches on the bushes lining the backyard are redbuds. They will soon fill the above view with pink. Soon the hand on that thermometer will register a more reasonable setting. Spring, which is just 26 days away, is my very favorite time of year. From now until the heat of summer begins, every day seems magical as the landscape reawakens. Its progress is measurable. Life is good!

Springtime and Spider plants

Ah, Springtime! This has been a spectacular season so far. There has been a variety of weather--though more rain is always desired. What a joy to watch the green living things come to life, take shape, thrive, and fulfill their natural life cycles.

As is tradition, when the weather gets warm, I bring my indoor plants outside to their summer home on or near the shady front porch. I had one plant that was very eager to move outside.

It was my favorite spider plant. I don't even know how old it is, but it seems I have had it forever. It was one of the few plants we were able to bring with us to Arkansas eight years ago when we moved here from Beecher, Illinois. At that time, we only had one cat. Now we have five.

For some reason I just haven't been able to teach the kitties to respect my plants. Here Kenni is doing what she does best, relaxing. She is totally content lying on her bed of soft, cushy leaves. I suspect the dirt is warm from the sunshine. Cats love to be warm.

Kenni wasn't the only one that liked to lay on the plants. Now that I think about it, I believe I've caught all of them there at one time. When Kenni was really little she thought the dirt in the pot was a litter box. I'm not sure how I broke her of that nasty habit, but thank goodness she doesn't do that anymore.

Needless to say, she destroyed the middle section of the plant, so I had to trim the leaves back. The once beautiful full plant, was reduced to a mere ring of bent and broken leaves. I tried everything, including sticking cinnamon sticks in the dirt. Cats are supposed to be repelled by the scent. Didn't work. They just moved them out of the way or laid down on top of them.

When spring arrived and I could put my plants outside, it was a new day for my spider plant. Today, she thrives once again.

This is what she looks like perched on her traditional pedestal, a rusty milk can.

She is rejuvenated, making lots of spider babies, and loving life.

Kenni doesn't seem to miss the plant either. She just sits on the table where the plant used to be, looking out the window and enjoying the sunshine.

I guess all in all, life is good!

Spring is here!

Little can be more pleasing than picking a bouquet of spring flowers from your own backyard. 

Narcissus, daffodils and Springtime

Even on rainy days, the colors found in daffodils and narcissi

can almost substitute for sunshine.

I can't resist picking a bouquet of them

to bring indoors to warm the still-cold temperatures. 

These hardy flowers come from one garden, 

planted in full view of a huge window, 

where they tempt me until I can no longer resist. 

These are some of my favorite flowers, 

probably because they are among 

the first to bloom in the Spring.

I love their almost-transparent pastel yellow petals 

and faded-looking yellow corona. 

The daffodils stand out among the bright and pale 

yellow double narcissi. Together, what a striking combination.

BTW, only 21 more days til Earth Day!

Riding the weather roller coaster

This was the scene on Jan. 29th at Lake Norfork in north central Arkansas.

Everywhere you looked, people were outside, enjoying the first warm days that followed a cold and snowy winter.


The sky was as blue as the crystal clear water of the lake that beckoned boaters anxious to take advantage of the 70º weather. We even saw a girl wearing a bathing suit, as she sat on the sand near the water's edge. It was one of those late winter days that was certainly a sign of things to come. 

We just didn't know what exactly was coming.

After such a beautiful weekend, who could have predicted this would be the scene, just six days later, on the Friday night of Feb. 4. It was a beautiful sight as the snow gently fell.

In reality, it was predicted by local meteorologists. So, my husband and I were prepared. 


The beauty snow was breathtaking. There was wood to burn in the stove, the refrigerator was stocked up and   set out to simply enjoy the view.

Much to our surprise, we woke up on the morning of Feb. 9 to our third snowfall of the season. This one was more beautiful than the previous one. 

Interestingly, it crippled the states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma with record-breaking snow totals. And then came the record-breaking cold snap. Some temperatures reached well below the zero mark, making for transportation headaches and all the  ills.

At our house, we received just shy of a foot of snow. 

It was so beautiful. It began in the early morning hours and snowed all day. It was so lovely to look out the window. 

Again, this was predicted, so we were ready for it. Being retired, there was no place we had to be, except in our warm, cozy home, enjoying the beautiful wintry scene.

The temperatures are predicted to reach 60º again by Monday. 

I love the weather in the Ozarks. It certainly has been a roller coaster ride. There are 38 more days until the official start of Spring--a day worth waiting for. I can't help but wonder what Mother Nature has in store for us in those last gasps of winter.