Memorial Day Weekend and Spring Fever.......

We've been having wonderful weather here in Pennsylvania..a little rain now and then, and mostly sunny lovely days that aren't too hot..and cool at night for sleeping with the window open. And I have a bad case of Spring Fever!!!

I promised my daughter Laura I'd post pictures of the pretty bouquet of flowers she sent me for Mother's Day.









Laura's bouquet














and the balloon imprinted with these sweet words that came attached to the bouquet.

Today I decided to go for it and request a vacation day tomorrow to make a nice long 4-day weekend. As a rule, someone else in my office always beats me to it, but not this time. I got lucky. And when I checked the calendar I discovered there is not another chance to make a 3 day holiday weekend into a 4 day weekend until Labor Day rolls around, since the 4th of July is in the middle of the week. I hate it when that happens.

On my list of things to do this weekend:

~ Finish varnishing this Bride's Box I painted for Randy's new bride Beth. And of course I have to pack it up to send to the newlyweds.





~ Plant my baby Azalea outside -- an Easter gift.

~ Plant my four hayrack windowboxes (this is one of them, photo from last year, showing the flowers I planted then..Calibrochoa or 'Million Bells'.)
















(For this year, we'll plant with pink geraniums purchased last weekend from this beautiful greenhouse)




I'd like to add white Calibrochoa and blue lobelia planted inbetween the geraniums to drip down over the edges of the hayracks. I'll probably get them here, right down the street at Roger's Roadstand.

~ Can't forget to fill my birdfeeders. The goldfinches are gobbling up the thistle seed.

~ Still must get licorice root mulch for the front flower border

~ be sure to get garden tour tickets for the Bedminster Conservancy Garden Tour next weekend before they're all sold out.

~ and visit the
Bucks County Designer House before it ends on Sunday.

~ There is also a Christmas gift I want time to play with...a brand new Brother sewing machine I must learn to use -- because....there is a new slipcover for my very old, comfy, club chair calling out my name -- still to be designed, cut up, and sewn together.

I wonder if I'll get it all done.

Over the path and through the woods, on a lunch hour walk I'll go......

Lately I'm trying to get a little exercise on my lunch hour instead of sitting down for another hour just eating. I found the perfect place to to walk and take pictures of flowers and birds..a meandering pathway created as a bike path, which winds past meadows and along the edge of woods, runs alongside a creek for a bit, and out again into a residential neighborhood. It's about a mile and 1/4 long, and I never have time to walk all the way to the end and still get back to my desk without being late.

I discovered there are marshy areas with bluebird houses, and park benches along the way. Last week I discovered yellow wood violets and bluebells, flowers I've never seen up close and personal before, but I didn't have my camera to photograph them. I headed back there this week with my trowel in hand and was able to get the last of the bluebells and violets still blooming. At that point, my battery died~(sigh).

Here are some pictures of the path, which I think is pretty, and what treasures awaited me. Amazingly, few other people seem to use this path, at least it seems that way when I'm there at lunchtime.

~God of tiny tender things
a Valentine
a bird that sings
God of Bramble bush
and thorn
God of tree limb unadorned
Paint the barren, gray and drear
Then leave a promise
ever near...~

(thanks JJ...xoxo)

Wildflowers............

We are the roadside flowers,
Straying from garden grounds,--
Lovers of idle hours,
Breakers of ordered bounds.



If only the earth will feed us,
If only the wind be kind,
We blossom for those who need us,
The stragglers left behind.



And lo, the Lord of the Garden,
He makes his sun to rise,
And his rain to fall with pardon
On our dusty paradise.



On us he has laid the duty,--
The task of the wandering breed,--
To better the world with beauty,
Wherever the way may lead.



Who shall inquire of the season,
Or question the wind where it blows?
We blossom and ask no reason.
The Lord of the Garden knows.




Bliss W. Carman - 1869 - 1921

A Soft Landing.........

Sometimes a body just has to get away. This week, I gratefully had a chance to head down to the Gulf Coast of Florida to our little get-away. The nice part is that it's right on the water overlooking Sarasota Bay.

Hubby had a business trip in Atlanta...and I had 3-1/2 glorious days of solitude to look forward to. What a gift!

I settled in right away, went to the store and bought food and flowers for the week.



The view from the lanai overlooking the water where I made myself some breakfast.






Then I played with my new camera and took some pictures of the birds on the water.








Later, I took a walk outside and spotted a duck couple....







along with this little guy....



and this creature who was very still....



The path I walked is like a tropical jungle.....



I stopped to smell some flowers.....















Couldn't resist this pretty jasmine vine dripping down along the entry way.



Or this lion standing guard over the impatiens...



A view of the lanai, where I spent most of my time contemplating life....



I'd love to be able to stay here forever...........


"I washed away the weeds and foam and took my seaborne treasures home."