Tired of My Snow Pictures?

How do you think I feel? Yessireebob, we woke up to about 5" of wet snow this morning. It's like our outside world is showing pictures on an old-fashioned, faulty slide projector that keeps clicking backwards to the same old snow scene taken in November, December, January, February, March . . . and now April.

So for those of you lucky-ducks actually being able to work your garden soil and plant early seeds today, here's a look at my snow-covered world.

The geese emerging to their once again snow-laden yard. (The chickens won't even come out.) Bet they're gonna be wondering where those nice, new green shoots of grass they've been munching for the last couple of days have disappeared to.

This is the closest we have to a flowing creek on our property. It's actually the ditch on the side of our driveway but it flows for much of the year. I thought it looked especially pretty this morning. Too bad you can't hear the sounds of the water burbling along.

My poor, poor ninebark hedge . . . laid over . . . yet again.

Our wood cutting area where we're working on our pile of maple logs. Wood's not gonna do any drying today. Uh-uh. Nope. No way.

Notice the squiggles on the middle left of the pond surface? They were made earlier this morning by a variety of duck known as Icebreaker Ducks (mallards). Roy was watching them from his office upstairs and said it was quite comical. They'd walk a couple of steps on the skim ice, break through, swim a foot or so, then back up on the ice to waddle along, break through, etc.

This last shot is for you, MaineCelt. You said you're planting carrots today? Yeah, me too. (Ha!) These are my two designated carrot beds for this year. Somehow, I think you're gonna have more luck than I will.

Slow Sunday Morning

The above title may be misleading; not to say there isn't plenty to do to fill one's time this weekend morning but rather that the weather, and human body sitting here at the computer, are both contributing to the downright slow and sluggish feeling.

As I check the world outside the window over my desk, I see snow falling rather rapidly. Current temperature is 34 degrees and one would think the precipitation might be in the form of raindrops, but not so. The forecast is for rain this morning changing to snow this afternoon (hmmm . . .) and an accumulation of 3-6" of snow by dawn tomorrow morning. Possible rain or snow for Monday, depending on the temperature. Anxious as some of us may be for true spring, winter does not easily loosen its grip up here in the north woods.

What does this photo represent other than teeny-tiny 1" tall cherry tomato sprouts? The hope of gardening days to come for this avid gardener. They're the first of my indoor seedlings to pop through and I'm silently giving myself a gold star this morning for being wise enough not to start plants too early (for once!) this year. Considering the calendar tells us we're past the middle of April, the snow and the just-now-started seedlings must seem a little strange to all of you luxuriating in warmer southern climes, but this is what we are used to and have learned to work with in the northern-most states.

Last night we went to a fund raiser held in the old town hall in the end of the county where we first lived when we moved here. It's the area where our daughter and son-in-law have built their home and now reside.

In the past couple of months, three families who live in the "east end" and are all self-employed (which translates to not nearly enough medical insurance coverage) sustained huge medical bills, and the fund raiser was the community's way of helping defray some of these costs. One of our local carpenters fell off a roof, smashed through a deck railing and landed on frozen earth and rock resulting in several broken bones and temporary head injuries. A mother of five had emergency surgery and contracted a horrible infection. I've already detailed the story of our son-in-law and his bicycling accident.

So a potluck dinner (lordy, lordy, don't know when I've seen, smelled or eaten so much wonderful food), silent auction and live music for dancing (a local band donated their time and talent) were organized. Tables and chairs were set up for eating and even though those who couldn't find seating at a table sat on the benches against three walls of the huge room, there still wasn't enough space for everyone to sit while eating.

Donations for the silent auction were made by local artists (of which our area has many extremely talented ones) and businesses from all over our large county, not just the end of the county in which the three families live. Resorts forty miles away (in two different directions) donated vacation packages. A businessman in town donated a $350 grill. People were unbelievably generous. The tables set up with the silent auction items looked much like the displays seen in the same town hall at the annual Arts Festival held in July each year.

Roy and I left the festivities before the winners of the silent auction items were announced but if I won half of the items I bid on, my allowance stash is going to take a big hit!

I saw people there last night that I know had driven over twenty-five miles to attend and lend their support. I wish more of our national news media would focus in on people and events such as this instead of all the doom and gloom that dominates on a daily basis. People helping people. As I've said before, our county is huge but sparsely populated and divided up into small communities. But when push comes to shove, and anyone needs help, the communities not only take care of their own but band together and take care of each other.

When Quilting Rooms Are Neglected

This calls for immediate action. I'm going to go grab a big glass of iced tea (no, it's not 'iced tea weather' yet . . . it's just my drink of choice year 'round) . . .

I'm going to go grab a big glass of iced tea (maybe with just a wee schmawk of Amaretto in it) . . .

I'm going to go grab a big glass of iced tea right now and quickly bring my quilt room back to some sense of decency.

Then I'm going to put a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner (quick and easy, very little clean-up) and then I'm going to spend tonight in my newly organized and cleaned quilt room working on the little 4" x 4" quilt blocks I'm making to hang as decoration on the pegs of the drying rack in the bathroom.

Sounds like a great Friday night to me.

There's Life Out There!

I have no shame. I'm blatantly copying my daughter's blog post of this past Wednesday when she showed pictures of lovely, little, green shoots she discovered in her search for signs of spring. This morning, I grabbed my mud boots, jacket and camera and roamed our yard. Darned if I didn't find more signs of life emerging than I thought I would.

Pansies. Ya can't beat 'em. This little guy is a volunteer from last year and already looks like he's ready for anything.

A trifle beat-up looking yet but this day lily knows spring is truly coming.

My sturdy Leopard's Bane produces the very first blooms I see each year. Deep yellow, daisy-like flowers.

These tender, pale delphinium shoots need sun, more sun, please.

Good, old, reliable chives. Nothing tastes better in spring than fresh cut chives in homemade cottage cheese.

Besides strolling the acreage taking pictures today, I actually did some physical labor, too. For a couple of days now Roy's been working on our cords of maple firewood in the back wood cutting area, and it was time (past time) for me to start stacking the fruits of his labor in the wood shed.

Filling the wheelbarrow with some cut up wood to take to the wood shed.

Roy stacked the smaller diameter 8' length logs in the wood cutting cradle to make cutting more efficient. He's a happy guy. He says putting up wood is like putting money in the bank. (Maybe better than putting money in the bank these days.)

Although we've still got plenty of snow in evidence in plowed up piles, and parts of flat yard areas remain covered, there's a certain feel to the air now that signals new life is ready to burst forth. Bring it on, we're ready!

Spring Wildlife Wall Hanging

Several years ago I bought six black and white blocks depicting wildlife and trees we see up here in the North Woods. I stored them away in one of my boxes of quilting fabric waiting for inspiration to strike as to the best way to use them in a quilted piece. Well, now I only have three of them still left waiting for inspiration because I finally used three in this wall hanging.

I wanted to create something to use in the early spring months. A time that is still without much color up here so the black and white blocks fill the bill for that. The surrounding colors I chose, worked in a modified Log Cabin block, add color to the piece along with reminding me of the pastels of early blooms and greenings mixed with the darker colors of branches and twigs.

I machine pieced and hand quilted it.

I did some quilting in each wildlife block to give it texture. (Unfortunately, I lack the photographic skill to make the hand quilting show up in the above photo. Or perhaps lack a good enough camera. Or perhaps a combination of both!)

Now, anybody got a good idea for a quilted piece using a block of bald eagles soaring, a clump of birch trees, and evergreens on a hillside?

I Should Clean and Sort More Often

It's a wonder the treasures you can find when you clean and sort in an effort to get organized. Yesterday I was going through a container of yarn that was packed away in our attic/loft area. There, tucked in with miscellaneous skeins of yarn, was this summer shell I knit for myself a couple of years ago. Why, and how the heck, did it end up in there? I had completely forgotten about it. It was all finished except for needing a small crocheted edging around the armholes and neckline. I took it with me when I went to a get-together of friends later in the day and lickety-split, it was done. The yarn is Jakobsdals Fidji, 55% cotton, 45% acrylic. The nubby texture of the yarn gives the top an interesting look I really like.

Now I'm anxious to wear it . . . that is if the weather ever gets to "tank top" wearing temperatures. Our high this afternoon was 50 degrees (woo-hoo!) and that was even without any noticeable sunshine. But more and more snow is melting even without the benefit of the sun shining on it. Although there's still plenty of the stuff out there, it is melting. I think that's everybody's mantra these days . . . the snow is melting, the snow is melting, the snow IS melting. Below is a shot of my pumpkin patch . . . free of snow! (This probably looks like the dumbest picture in the world to anyone except for a gardener -- that would be me -- who is over-anxious to get her fingers in some warm dirt.)

Hopefully, really soon I'll be able to be doing some cleaning and organizing outside. Winter debris to rake off the yard and out of flower beds. It'll feel pretty darn good to be doing it, too.