Skip to main content

Spring is Here

Spring is here and I am happy about it because it means warmer weather, verdant foliage, and an abundance of furry and feathered critters.  The past few days in this part of the country have been a bit on the gloomy and damp side, but otherwise we've been enjoying stretches of sunny days with wonderful temperatures.


As busy as we all are, it's a good idea to take a moment or two to go outdoors and observe what is around us this time of year.  The dogwoods are in full bloom right now.  The crabapple trees are fragrant and ever so pretty with their abundant flowers.  The squirrels, robins and even the occasional groundhogs or foxes have decided to make their presence felt throughout the landscape.


On one of my recent walks I took a few photographs and even a short video of the kinds of things happening around our home.  It's been somewhat of a tradition to have a 'spring has sprung' post here on the blog, so this is it!


Whenever I am standing in this spot on the field, I have to pause and take a look.  I also like to listen to what is happening around the area.  You can see birds, deer, bees and countless insects from this vantage point.  


Turning to my right I can see the barn and the trees which surround it.  A small flowering dogwood is among the first to bloom.  It's beautiful.


If I decide to take a stroll down this way I will come upon even more majestic dogwoods.  At the moment everything looks tame and somewhat subdued, but come summer, the meadow will be buzzing with activity and the grass will be thick and abundant.


You can see the row of dogwoods on the horizon, next to the apple trees. Those white poles are part of the afforestation objective.  It will be decades before those trees become large enough to block the view, but it's something which will benefit the field for generations to come.


Here I am standing next to some newly-planted trees.  I love the view from here.

Looking down toward where I originally started my walk, you can still make out the barn.  In a few months when the grass is allowed to grow quite tall and thick, I won't be able to see the stone structure from this area.


Do you have flowering crabapple trees in your yard?  There is something so alluring about crabapple trees this time of year.  Not only are the flowers absolutely gorgeous to look at up close, but their scent is something else.


I wish you could smell these fragrant flowers.  In a few seasons the trees will be laden with lots of tiny fruit.   


You have no idea how happy I am that we now have black squirrels in the area. I had only encountered these in a neighboring town whenever I happened to be near the train station.  This year we seem to have been bestowed with their charming presence.  We always look out for them from our windows and on this day, I was fast enough with the camera to take these photos.

Here it is digging for something to eat.


Success!  The black squirrel found a small nut which it quickly devoured on the spot.


I'm a big sucker for groundhogs.  It isn't officially spring until we see one of the resident groundhogs out and about.  We've named this cutie, 'Henrietta'. She is always focused on eating the best greens near a hill, but she seems to be quite the explorer.  We've caught her near a small gully which runs alongside the driveway.  I wish we could just pick her up and hug her.

Here's a short video of her eating.



Little Henrietta loves to take short, quick nibbles of grass and other greens. With her stubby legs and waddling gait, she moves with purpose and determination.  Isn't she adorable?



OK, there is no excuse for you to be indoors right now.  Go out and take a walk in a park or simply sit out on your yard to enjoy the view.  You never know what you're going to find scampering on your lawn.  Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons of the year, and you can bet that as busy as I am, I will make it my mission to take longer walks so that I too can enjoy the changes in the landscape.  


I hope all of you are having a fantastic start to spring!

Comments

  1. Ahh.. spring! With such beautiful surroundings, it would be difficult for me to be in the kitchen making cookies! I so love your annual 'walk' of spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kenn! Have a wonderful start to spring. I hope that all goes well for you this week!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang

Vintage Wilton Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes have certainly evolved over the decades just as tastes and styles have in our American way of life.  There was a time when elaborate & very formal towering feats of sweetness were the standard for every bride & groom.  Growing up in a household where I witnessed several wedding cakes take shape from start to finish, I can tell you  that every single one of these was a true labor of love.  For mom, Wilton was the go-to supplier in every aspect of cake baking, including the wedding cakes which flew out of our house every single year for friends & family.   Vintage Wedding Cake Toppers It’s fun going back and looking at Wilton’s methods and styles for wedding cakes during the 1960s and 1970s.  Back then, the shapely cakes were not simply stacked and covered in perfect fondant the way they are these days, but were iced and decorated with real buttercream, along with a multitude of accessories.  There was even a working fountain available that could b