#Enchanted April – Wordless Wednesday

If you have not read the 1923 book or seen the 1992 movie it’s a charming story set in Portofino on the Italian Riveria.
First sign of spring.
Wild woodland daffodils
“If thou of fortune be bereft, and in thy store there be but left two loaves, sell one, and with the
dole, buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.”
More soul food…..
Grape hyacinths
These two red tulips have been blooming in the same spot for thirty years.
I’m glad I got the rose bushes pruned in early April as we had five days of summer-like weather.
Okay, so it’s not the Mediterranean, but the water was blue and it was 82 F….
….and there were people on the beach, in bathing suits in mid-April!
The warm spell brought all the magnolia blossoms out, but was followed a few days later by wet flurries and since then two weeks of cool cloudy rainy weather.
Chartreuse spring green against a blue sky.
It was nice to sit outside and listen to the birdsong and read…and enjoy the longer hours of daylight. (Photo taken at dusk with the zoom lens I have not quite mastered yet!)
I enjoyed this book, although not as much as her first book, Wintering
Looking forward to May and more flowers!

For more on the book and movie Enchanted April see link to my 2018 blog here.

#Ready for Spring – Wordless Wednesday

Valentine’s Day tulips enjoying a sunbath.
Snowdrops in early March…..a promising sign.
But then it snowed…..covering up the crocus tips.
And then it snowed some more – 3 snow storms and 3 ice storms in March. I’m more than ready for spring. The only good thing about this time of year is that it melts quickly, allowing for a walk in the park.
These seagulls are tired of freezing their tails off. Some winters the bay freezes over deep enough to allow ice fishing, but this year it was just thin sheets of shifting ice.
The resident ducks foraging for food….there’s a shortage of french fries this time of year.
It makes you want to fly south….. (action shot taken with old camera, it’s been too cold to take the new camera out when I’m still trying to figure out the settings)
….or stay inside and bake bread…(my new favorite find – good with chili or soup)
….and dream of summer days again. (The Luncheon of the Boating Party is one of my favorite paintings, but I don’t know about this puzzle, the pieces are so tiny….)

#May Flowers – Wordless Wednesday

Lately I’ve been taking pictures while walking in the neighborhood
These purple irises deserve a a second shot
I’ve never seen a peony with multi-colors like this one before
The owner said it’s a woody shrub not a bush, and blooms earlier than other peonies.

She said this is catnip – a lovely sight if you’re a cat!
My rescue basket of pansies post CPR – the nursery was going to throw them out but all they needed was some water.
My Virginia bluebells are always nice but one strand came up albino this year.
It’s right beside the lily of the valley, so maybe I’ve created a new species?
Inhale the scent!
Lilacs over my neighbor’s fence.
Make for a nice place to sit and read a book!

#Yellow and Purple – Wordless Wednesday

Yellow and purple are complimentary colors
Common in the first flowers of spring – like crocus
and Hyacinths
Which contrasts nicely with yellow daffodils
Cheerful pansies in bright
and pale shades
Violets sprinkled across the lawn
make the dandelions look sunny
Bright purple vinca stands out
as does the regal purple iris.
And last but not least forsythia – the welcome sign of spring!

#March Madness – Wordless Wednesday

A photo recap of March.

First sign of spring – pussy willows for sale
Reading The Maid – a charming murder mystery with a maid turned sleuth – instead of spring cleaning!
Leftovers from the Mediterranean Diet
A March hare munching on the Mediterranean diet.
Lawn damage from the Merry Band of Moles who wintered under the front deck.
Anxiously awaiting those 80 bulbs I planted last fall. Note the piece of dryer lint the moles have scavenged for lining their nests so they can go forth and multiply….
Saw this magnificent spring garden painting by a local artist at a gallery opening.
A friend’s spring-like quilt – if it hadn’t already been spoken for I would have bought it….like I need another quilt….
This week’s excuse for not writing a blog post – that second dose was wicked.
This week’s excuse for not walking. It’s hard to find a spring jacket in a nice color. Plus there’s freezing rain forecast to send March out like a lion, which is kind of what that mustard color reminds me of….
Better to stay in and do a cozy puzzle….this one has it all…..fire, cat, dog, book, drink, snacks – what more could you want.
And for true March madness – imagine being shot in a lineup while buying bread. I remember reading the book The Cellist of Sarajevo. It’s sad and disturbing to see history repeating itself – prayers for Ukraine.

#Spring Thaw – Wordless Wednesday

Let your photo(s) tell your story.

Waiting for winter to leave….
A walk in the woods – blue skies and birch trees
Spring Thaw – 2005 – one of mom’s paintings
Not too much ice this year
Seven swans a swimming – six plus….
….one diva!
The Swans…..another painting
Seagulls in March
Waiting for spring to arrive….

#Spring Green – Wordless Wednesday

Let your photo(s) tell your story.

The chartreuse green of the first leaves…
A field of wheat planted last fall……
The grass greening, even if it does need cutting mid-April!
The rhubarb is early this year too….
Spring green goes well with any color….
like pink…
or red and yellow….
or blue……
or purple…..
or white…..
….or Sunshine in The Meadow. It’s Mother Nature’s perfect accent color!
But not this kind of white!
For that you need evergreen! Snow on April 21?

#Spring Fling – Wordless Wednesday

Let your photo(s) tell your story.

Spring Fling – March 2021 – by Joni’s mom
First sign of spring – which my neighbor weed whacked away!
Crocus in front of the library…
The early bloomers of the 50 bulbs I planted….looking rather downcast….
Blue skies smiling at me…..nothing but blue skies do I see!
The tulips stems seem short this year….
Hyacinths which have fallen over – we haven’t had enough rain….
Daffodils in front of the library…..you can tell they have a gardener.
It’s nice to hear the chorus of tree frogs when I walk….
Spring peeper hanging in there during the pandemic! Happy Spring!