More Signs of Spring

Here we are mid-April. It must be almost spring, right?

The current bush, my absolute favourite is out in bloom. The original bush died and I shopped everywhere for a replacement. Then one just sprouted up in my garden down the bank from the old one. Warmed my heart.
The camellias are among the first to bloom. Love the different shades.
I love the dandelions. They are so bright and cheerful in the spring. And you can always make a dandelion chain. πŸ™‚
The cherry trees are in full blossom. This is three trees planted together. Lovely. This is an ornamental, of course. The fruit trees are still thinking about sending out their blossoms.
And then there’s is the western skunk cabbage. Grows in ditches and wetlands, and stinks up the place. πŸ™‚

Yet, we had an inch and a half of snow on Sunday, and another flurry on Tuesday. Doesn’t the weatherman know it’s SPRING??

What is happening where you live? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Best, Sylvie

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Signs of Spring

I went for a bike ride yesterday, for the first time this year. The rain had stopped, and although it wasn’t sunny, it was a nice day. And as I rode, I saw some signs of spring.

The ferns are growing like mad.
The moss has stopped hibernating and is sending out numerous bright green shoots.
The ocean spray has grown tiny leaves and the blossoms are getting ready to burst.

My Mom always called this bush spyria. When I moved back to the west coast, I got a book of plants of British Columbia, and although most folks call it ocean spray, Mom was right– spyria is the correct name. I shouldn’t be surprised. πŸ™‚

What is happening in your neighbourhood? Any signs of spring yet? Drop me a line and let me know.

Eagle in the Nest

We have bald eagles around our land, and this winter, starting in December, a couple of eagles built a nest in a cottonwood tree just down from the house. Here it is, full of twigs and tree limbs. We kept seeing them flying past our house, carrying big branches in their claws, and followed them around until we found what they were doing. There is an eagle parked in the nest now, so we figure the eggs have been laid. That means they should hatch in 5 weeks, around the 12th of April. Very exciting. I’ll keep you posted. πŸ™‚

Coffee cup

This little cup is a keepsake that we brought back with us from the Island of Rhodes some years ago. We much enjoyed Rhodes, very historical, lovely old buildings, and a nice swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The cup is lovely, isn’t it, and no, it’s not made in China. On the bottom it reads ‘Hand Made by Neofitoy Keramik, Fauraki-Rodos’. You can see the flowers are hand-drawn, even see the brush strokes. To give you an idea of the size of the cup, here is a picture of my husband’s hand holding it.

We hardly ever use them, but on occasion I have brought them out to have a tea party with my wee grandsons. We do that on the lawn so when the cups fall, (which they inevitably do) they don’t break. πŸ™‚

Good Neighbours

We had a big snowfall after Christmas that lasted several days and nearly snowed us in. One of our neighbours has just moved here and I haven’t even met him yet. But he plowed the whole road and cleared access, as the public plow usually fills in our road entrance and blocks us in.

Then a second neighbour very kindly plowed our long driveway as he cleared his own.

A third neighbour has a creek running through his land that empties into the ditch that parallels our road and drive. Here it is now, a gentle stream.

However, as the snow melted, it became a regular torrent. This neighbour noticed the water was backing up and about to flood the road and might wash away the barn below. He spent his time clearing the blockage and branches along the streambed, following along the road and down our drive to prevent our driveway from being washed out as well.

I was out for a walk the other day and this is what I observed.

This tree stump has been by the side of the road for a while, witness the moss. But the spoon has only been there for a few months. Someone found the spoon and put it there in the hopes that the person who lost it might see it and be able to reclaim their utensil. It’s a tiny act of kindness that touched my heart. Especially in these times of pandemic and hostility that seem to surround us, acts of kindness mean a lot.

What do people do in your neighbourhood? Drop me a line and let me know.