Spring in our Yard

 

Yes, it’s a picture of snow.  This was a late snow, that didn’t quite make it over the mountain.  I thought it was neat, because just on the other side of the mountains they got inches of snow.  We got none, though this mountain that we can see from our house got some and you can see just how far over the mountain the snow was able to make it, not even down to the bottom.     

We rescued a late spring cocoon  last year, when we read that sometimes they will stay over the winter and then be some of the first butterflies to arrive in the spring. So we were thrilled to see this little guy appear, after spending the winter in our butterfly habitat on our screened in porch.  He is a black swallowtail, hard to tell through the netting.,

                                                                                                                    

We have heard the busy nest making of this guy.  Sounds like a jackhammer.  Their former house was located next door, and when they cleared the lot for the house,  he was forced to find a new home and chose this tree at the back of our yard, well used by other woodpeckers.  We enjoy watching them fly over head in the evening.  They have beautiful white markings under their large wings.

                 

 

We have the beginnings of some wild blackberries and raspberries which form the hedge on the back of our yard.  And we’ve also got a few apple blossoms that are trying to become apples.  We’ll see, our apple trees are still young.  We’re trying to wait patiently.

           

 

We rescued a baby bird that we found on the ground under it’s nest, which is under our deck.  This  nest was involved in a hostile takeover.  Unfortunately,  these babies didn’t survive.

       

 

However, we had success with our bluebird house again this year.  Enjoying the family grow and then move on.

 

                   All the rain we’ve had has brought lots of turtles out into our yard.                             Everyone enjoyed checking the little guy out and feeding him from our garden.

                          

 

 Catherine

A little Gardening Fun

*disclaimer* this post is from April,  when I went to post new garden pics, realized I had never showed these

Hopefully this years gardening will be better than last years.  We had great luck with tomatoes and zucchini, but am hoping to get more from the other veggies we planted.  I’m thinking since I’m missing my big pregnant belly, it should go better or at least be more comfortable

We started some seeds for corn, beans, peas and sunflowers.   It’s amazing how quickly they

sprout in these little plastic growers.

   

                                                            

Did some weeding and cleaning out of our garden beds and added a new bed for the strawberries.  Ken covered it in the hopes that we would actually get some of them before the birds and critters. 

   

And just a few short weeks later,  we’ve got  strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, basil, garlic, onions, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, corn, beans, peas, broccoli.  We’re planning on adding some watermelon and cantaloupe too. 

                 

 

                  

 

Catherine

A Special Easter

 

We had an extra special Easter this year.  Not only did our friends from NC come, for what’s becoming a tradition  but……….they got to be here for Lauren’s baptism.   She’s been waiting and reminding me that she’s waiting    But what a wonderful day to be baptized on and all the more special to get to share it with life long friends.

Really neat that Ken got to participate in baptizing her,  extra special for both of them.

             

 

                  

 

Proud, teary eyed mommy!

Catherine

Busy, Busy Girl

 

Little Miss is thrilled with her new found mobility ~well new when these pictures were taken     She loves to crawl everywhere, over under no obstacle is too daunting.    She’s pulling to standing on anything that looks to her like it can get her upright.   She’s even started pushing around a walking toy,  not sure I’m ready for her to be that mobile.   I’ve forbid anyone to further encourage her

Crawling is the quickest and easiest for her, she is quite speedy and won’t let anything get in her way or slow her down too much.

                

She loves cruising……using anything that will move with her.                                

                                     

She is enjoying feeding herself all types of snack food.  Her current favorites are graham crackers and potato straws.

     

When she awakes in the morning or from her nap she thinks it’s hilarious to cruise around the crib rail and then throw anything she can reach ….out

        

loves, loves, loves a cabinet,  doesn’t matter what's inside.  She likes to crawl in, toss things out, open and shut the door,  just sooo many things one can do with a cabinet

                    

She loves to “help” me…..putting items in the dryer,  moving around my sweep pile,  crawling into the open dishwasher, rearranging the pantry, inspecting the toilet paper roll

                                 

She is certainly keeping us laughing and on our toes.  It’s fun to see her have so much fun and amazement at things the rest of us consider quite ho-hum.

Catherine