Dreaming of Rainy Days...

Is it stinking hot and dry as a bone in your neck of the woods? 

Oklahoma is parched and under a burn ban with temps of 111 degrees expected this week. Stifling to say the least. 

Our particular region is known as Green Country. Ha!  The grass is so brown it might as well be winter. And some grass is crisp-- it actually crunches underfoot.

I long for cool rainy days and puddles, don't you.



My shadow reflecting in a huge puddle...

By the way, these photos are from last April.  

Ah, glorious April showers... 

Please visit these photo meme linky parties to see fascinating photos from around the world:

Shadow Shot Sunday
Macro Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday
Blue Monday
Mosaic Monday

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Spring is Knocking on the Door!

It is still officially winter but it looks more like spring everyday.

 Wednesday, I took a photo of a cluster of  ornamental pear buds.  Along with daffodils, the ornamental pear trees are one of the first heralds of spring. They only bloom about two weeks but it is a glorious two weeks. Each tree looks like a huge puff ball.

Thursday, a few buds started to bloom... isn't it pretty.  Won't be long till full bloom!

Last week, I posted the first daffodils in the garden. This week, my little boy spotted the first naturalised clump blooming in the field.

These early birds are petite blooms-- aproximately the diameter of a quarter. Not as showy as their larger cousins but still they are sweet little flowers.

We found a petite yellow one too. A bit misshapen but we don't mind-- Spring is knocking on the door!

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Yippee! Spring Macros: Daffa-down-dillies!

Remember last week I posted my last winter 2011 macros and said: No more winter!   This week my earliest daffodils began blooming so I have cheery spring macros to share!

On Wednesday...

 These have pale cream petals and bright yellow trumpets

 The trumpets are short but very frilly-- I love frilly!

On Thursday...

Hanging low after a rain shower...

Today, temps are back in the 40s, guess winter didn't get my memo.

              

Please visit Macro Monday to see more of the world close-up!

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Seed Catalogs Mean...

Spring is right around the corner, right?  Yeah, I know, wishful thinking. I do wish spring began right after New Year's Day, though. Wouldn't that be loverly! 

My first two 2011 seed catalogs arrived last week! Yippee! Aren't they pretty! 

Nichol's Garden Nursery and Totally Tomatoes are two of my favorite companies.  Check them out-- plotting and planning a garden is good for the soul and a terrific remedy for an early case of springfever!

Please visit Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet and Rednesday at It's A Very Cherry World to see more reds from around the world!

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More Brambles: Blackberries

Got'cher bonnet and bucket... got'cher deet? Don't forget long pants and sleeves? Yes, yes , I know it is hot and humid... OK.. Let's go berry pickin'!

Whenever my East Texas 'country' grandmother did anything out of doors in the summer... picking berries/plums, fishing, gardening... she always wore a homemade poke bonnet and long sleeves.. no matter how hot the temp. And of course, when visiting, I had to wear the poke bonnet and sleeves too. Oh, how I moaned and groaned and whined: It's too hot!

Now thirty years later, when I go out to wade through the brush, what do I wear? A big straw hat, long pants and sleeves and even muck boots.

Yep, Ma knew her business!

Like the wildrose in the previous post, these briars bloom with pretty white flowers too... then show off with bright red berries. There are blackberries and dewberries along our fence line.

What a gorgeous red!

Starting to turn...



Looks good enough to eat!

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Wildrose

Our fenceline is a deadly mix of brambles, honeysuckle vines and thickets of sandplums and poison ivy. (yes, poison ivy turns woody and makes a thicket) Couldn't walk through to save your life-- well, you could in winter but in summer you'd need a machete and would end up loaded with chiggers, scratches and a oozy itchy rash. Doesn't sound nice does it? But gaze a little closer-- there is actually much beauty to be found amongst the thorns.

This is a bramble the locals call wildrose-- not wild rose or wild roses-- they run it all together as one word. Deadly thorns but isn't it lovely. Oh and the rose fragrance is divine! These all white ones bloom first.


The pink and white ones bloom a few weeks later and are my favorite. All wildrose blooms are small and dainty but these are the largest. And they smell even more rosy-- no need to sniff a bloom-- just walk by and you'll be surrounded by the delicious aroma.

Notice the little bug-- didn't see it till I cropped the photo.

Wish these little guys bloomed all season!

Which is your preference: the early smaller all white or the later larger pink/white? Do you have brambles on your property? Is it a love or hate relationship?

It is ok if you hate them because as much as I love the flowers, I must admit I do hate getting snagged by a thorn!

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Sage Advice...

Actually, sage needs no advice... just plop it in the ground and get out of the way. This wise old sage is aproximately sixteen years old and has survived transplanting and severe pruning.
It even makes little sage babies that I give away to good homes.


Pretty! Reminds me of lavender.

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Early Spring Daffodils!

Last spring, I posted photos of our roselike daffodils. This spring, I thought you might like to see some of our other daffodils. These are more typically shaped but each one is different.

some have short trumpets...

Some have long trumpets...

Some are multicolored...


some are petite...

All are unique and welcome!

Isn't spring glorious!

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All The Little Birds On Jay Bird Street...

Love to hear the robin go tweet, tweet, tweet...

Tuesday Morning Addition

Last night, I discovered a fabulous weekly photo meme Ruby Tuesday

hosted by Mary at the Work of the Poet blog. Each Tuesday participants worldwide link up red themed photos. The photos are gorgeous and, Oh, did I ooh and ahh.

This morning, I woke up and decided to join the Ruby Tuesday party. I've always considered robins more orangish but they are called 'Robin Redbreast', after all.

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Puddle Jumping!

Talon still loves splashing in puddles! This was on one of our warmish springbreak days in March. We were so thrilled to see the merest hint of green--- now everything is lush and it is almost time to mow!

See Midnight the cat-- she will be introduced soon...

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Spring!

The ornamental pear trees burst into bloom three weeks ago--- they are the first sign of spring here! The blooms last a couple of weeks then the trees leaf. Immediately after that there is one glorious day that every other type of tree in woods and on the mountain leaf out--- magic!

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Too Much Winter!

Here's hoping this is the last wintery post... it is spring, for goodness sakes!

This photo is actually from February. Snow up on Beaver Mountain that Talon and I saw everyday coming home from school. Took quite a few days for it to melt.

Winter decided to throw a huge party on the first day of spring. Can you believe it? We were stuck in a hotel down in Durant, Ok. Friends said do not come home due to snowpacked roads and 3-4 foot drifts.

It melted very fast, though. We barely had time to build Mr. Pitiful when we arrived home on Monday. With all the snow this winter, this was the first snow that would pack and roll. Talon loved it... especially throwing snowballs.

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Spring is knocking on the door!

YIPPEE!

The dillies I spotted in January are slowly getting taller. This is how they looked a week ago...

This is how they look now-- much taller with buds!
Lots of growth in a week!

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