Spring... in pictures

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” - Doug Larson

The weather has been so nice, and so mild the past few weeks, I have to admit to being tempted to put in my garden: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and all. Still, I know if I do it'll snow. ARGH.

I hope it remains mild because so much has come up (far too early) that is on the more "tender" side -- and if it does cool down below freezing again, I'm going to lose plants.

I do plan on tilling the garden today and putting in the stuff that will take the cold: carrots, peas and maybe some chard or spinach.

I love watching everything come to life. My DD has her own flower garden in the corner of the area where her swingset is and it's got some great flowers blooming.

Phlox (growing out of a rotting stump and decorated with stones she finds in the creek nearby):



Bleeding Heart:



Wait... that picture doesn't show how gorgeous the flowers are. Check it out:



Despite the fact that black flies are out IN FORCE (I can look outside at any given time and see clouds of them... ICK), I still am enjoying the weather.

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Some gratuitous pix of Dakota because I haven't posted any in a while:





We'd keep her around for the amusement value alone. :-)

A little story (and not for the squeamish...): Yesterday I was out pulling dandelions from our lawn and let the dog run around and chase squirrels. I glanced over to see where she was and she was rolling in the woods. That can only mean one thing: dead body. I shouted and she jumped up and then picked up whatever it was in her mouth. I shouted "drop it" and she did (she's actually surprised us with how obedient she turned out to be, but that's a story for another day). I went to look and... it was one of those "good news, bad news" things. Bad news? Dead body full of (ickick) maggots. Good news? It was A VOLE!!!!

As an aside, I think my Vitamin D bombs might be working. The vole damage to my plants has gone way down and no new holes have sprouted in my mulch. Since I can't think of anything else to do, I'm going to continue putting them out and hope for the best.

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Another couple weeks and it's going to be butterbaby season again. Time flies, doesn't it? First will come the swallowtail:




And then the monarch:


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Happy Spring!!

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