“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Monday, March 20, 2023

Spring at Last!

It's been a long cold winter with heaps of snow! 

Spring is here at last! 

Well sort of...

This is Spring in Minnesota!

 

 


Just last week we had a really heavy snowfall. Squirrel had just finished his breakfast at our bird feeder and was on his way back to his cozy bed in the trees. We've had almost 80 inches of snow this year. We haven't had this much snow since 1983.

 

 

 

 

Even Guy is over loving the snow. His time outside has been about 8 minutes. We walk down the path from the back door to his perch and then he jumps down and runs to the door for me to let him in. If it's windy he doesn't last that long! Sometimes I just carry him on my shoulder and after a couple of minutes that's enough outdoor time for both of us. We are becoming wimps in our old age! 

The good news is all this snow has erased our drought conditions. I'm hoping for a lovely year when all the snow melts!



I found a very cute little yellow chick for you to gaze upon for a moment.

Hope you're enjoying a nice Spring wherever you are. 

Hugs from Diane & Guy Noir

 

 



Sunday, March 20, 2022

Splendid Spring

Today is the first day of Spring! It's feeling and looking like spring today even if we still have some ice on the lake. A sure sign that spring is here is that the ducks and geese have come back! 

 

 

Soon the glowing radiance of spring will lay before us in the garden! But for now we have to be patient and let nature take its course. The sun will do its magic and before you know it, the first flowers of spring will bloom.
 

 

 

Meanwhile I live in my tiny magical dream cottage with the ever blooming azaleas. The only rabbits are good ones who run to eat the salad scraps I toss out for them and they leave my tulips alone! Here's one below....


Hope you enjoyed my little look at spring illustrations. The first and third images are digitally painted and enhanced vintage images, the second image is a photo of a watercolor I did a few years ago.

Still sending love, peace and understanding out into the universe today. 

Blessings to all!

💛💙xx Diane xx 💙💛




Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Transformation

 

Welcome March, the meteorological spring begins and with it comes transformation. I am holding hope in my heart for love and light to overcome hate and darkness, and I invite you to take a moment to send that hope into the universe through meditation or prayer.

 


 If we could spread love as quickly

as we spread hate and negativity,

what an amazing world we would live in.

                                        unknown

 May peace be with you, Diane xxx




Monday, May 24, 2021

Lovely Spring Flowers

 

Years ago I planted the flower above which is called Dame's Rocket. It has since been labeled an "invasive" plant and everyone is warned not to plant it as it will take over the world. After almost 20 years it has behaved much nicer than my phlox which has bullied out many of my other plants. So in my garden anyway, it is not invasive nor has it spread to my neighbors yard. In fact it has stayed much in the same area all these years and hasn't spread much at all.

The plant above did spring up this year and it is a white Dame's Rocket. It's growing next to the neighbor's white fence and looks a bit bland. Waiting to see if it reseeds with white or pink/purple plants next year.



We've had at least three pairs of geese hatch out goslings this year. I managed to catch this family a couple of weeks ago hunting bugs and tender plant shoots on our lake bank. The goslings only stay cute and yellow for about a week and then start to look like gangly teenagers. 



Above is a native shrub called a Pagoda Dogwood, it loves growing amongst larger trees. It has snuggled in nicely between a pine and an oak tree.  Later the blooms will turn into dark little berries that the birds and ducks love. I have seen the woodducks fly up from the ground to grab the berries in their mouths!


This white bleeding heart was seeded by a pink bleeding heart in the back yard. I dug it up  last fall and moved it over under the pink crabapple. It's still a baby plant but I hope it increases  in size next year. 


The purple Alium plants have done well have have spread a bit, I'm very happy for their fun shape and lovely color in the spring.


I've been seeing more clover this year as I asked my husband to not remove it anymore. So many of the natural plants are disappearing as people continue to spray weed killer on them. Even in our yard some plants that I tried to save and that we've never used any herbicides around have just inexplicably died. I have only one elderberry left and keeping my  fingers crossed it survives.


There are two of these honeysuckles in our yard, they must be around 50 years old now. They were planted by the original builder/owner of the house. They are a pale pink and have a sweet smell.


Next to the compost bin we have some native plants that some call weeds. The large leaved vine is called "Virginia Creeper", other plants you may recognize, dandelion, creeping charlie and some boneset, jewel weed and other plants. 


This pretty plant has the fluffy little white flowers. It's always been here and I'm not sure of it's name but it grows happily with my other plants.  I would love to  show you images of  bees on my flowers, but unfortunately there are very few this year. I have seen a couple of large Queen bumble bees and a few smaller honeybees, but I fear that our extremely harsh winter and other things have taken a toll on the poor creatures. I'm hoping with warmer weather I'll start to see more move back in to the area.

One thing I am extremely pleased with is the sound of the frogs singing, they have been very active and we've had some nice rains to refresh our lake, so I'm hoping to see a few of this critters in our yard soon.  Other birds at our lake this year have been Great Blue Herons, White Egrets, Trumpeter Swans and a Bald Eagle or two. I try and post a few images at a later date. 

Things have been moving along here in our area and now we (fully vaccinated) can cautiously venture out without masks except where noted by the businesses. My dentist and Dr.'s offices still require masks. That reminds me, a few weeks ago just after my vaccine was fully effective, I noticed floaters in my right eye. I called my Ophthalmologist's office and they were able to get me in that afternoon. Thankfully no emergency issues with my eye, I have a follow up appointment in a month. I'm also trying to catch up with other Dr. appts. so will be visiting one or another almost every week for a month! My husband still hasn't even made his appts. yet! Men!! 

Anyway!! Hope you are all doing well and enjoying spring so far. Hoping to get back here and post again before it is summer! Thank you all for visiting and please leave a comment. As you know the spammers have been awful, so I'll publish your comment as soon as possible. I almost always reply too. 

Hearts and Hugs to you! ~~~ Diane



Friday, April 2, 2021

Happy May Your Easter Be

 Hi Friends! Happy Easter ~ Spring to you!

Our weather is warming nicely but still no flowers to share just yet. Instead I thought I would share some vintage postcards with you today. If you thought my blog post title sounds a bit like backward speak you may be correct! Actually I took it from the card below, the sweet sheep grazing in the pasture above the greeting, "Happy May Your Easter Be". 



I included some bunnies and Easter Gnomes just for fun! Hope you enjoy them and they bring a smile to your sweet faces!



My husband and I have been well and both of us have now received our first Covid vaccines. Ron gets his second vaccine soon and I will get mine at the end of the month. I've just heard that the Pfizer vaccine is good for about 6 months. Guess we will be spending more time at medical clinics than we would like. We are still wearing our masks etc. though as variants are still spreading and all the states around us have ditched their mask requirements. 

This Easter I am very thankful that we have made it through this. I remember last year at this time I was very worried about all of it. I hope you are all well and are able to enjoy this beautiful time of year. Happy Spring and if you celebrate, Happy Easter as well.

Hugs, from Diane and Guy🐤🐥💕


Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Winter into Spring

 Winter with a hint of Spring....



The image above is me stepping outside just when you think Spring is here and then suddenly it starts to rain.  Then the wind howls and before you know it there are three inches of snow to shovel.  At least I know that Spring really will be here soon so I can tolerate a few more bouts of cold weather!


Soon our crab apple trees will be blooming and the grass will be green and I'm so looking forward to it! In the mean time I've been trying to reorganize my office and clear out some clutter. On my breaks I sit at my computer and play. My new header image was made by using the chick postcard and an image of a blooming tree. I used my computer to combine the images and "paint" the images  together to form one image. It took me about an hour to finish and I do find it quite satisfying! 

Here's another image below I worked on. It originally showed the deer with a rope and log snared around his foot and dogs and hunters chasing him.

 

I was very  pleased to remove them and free the beautiful deer. Now it just looks as though he's prancing through the fields without a care in the world. I can't show you the original as it was too disturbing for me to even keep.  Of course all the images I use are public domain and are from reputable websites. I love  finding these antique images and bringing them back to life.

In other news, my husband finally got his first Covid vaccine. I'm still on the waiting list and hope to hear soon. We have the UK variant in a county close by so would very much like to get my vaccine. Laying low and staying away from everyone. 

How's everyone doing out there?  

Take care, stay safe! ~ Diane




 

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Summer Days

Spring has gone and summer days are here. The past few months have been filled with turmoil and sadness in this area but we all must make the best of things and move on. Here's a glimpse at the past flowers of spring in my garden.


Summer's here and the living is pretty much like the last several months but greener and warmer.  Stay home, be safe.  Go to grocery store, mask up, stay safe. Talk to friends on the phone, tell them to stay safe and well.  And repeat! My husband and I are asking each other, "What day is it?", way too often!


Guy in the Buttercups!

Of course everything about going to the store takes twice as long.  We both are taking all the precautions we can to stay healthy and o far we have not shown any symptoms.

We've been enjoying the garden and catching up on things we left undone from last year because of my husbands health issues.  His surgery for this spring was canceled and may not happen now until next year. Every day is a new day and we enjoy each one.  Guy loves to be outside in the warm weather and as you see below he thinks in is in the wilds of a meadow.  To keep him safe he always is on his harness and we keep a close eye on him.









I haven't been very active in my Etsy shop these days as going out to buy merchandise is not as simple as before. Sales are slow but I have been lucky enough to have a few.  The feedback from one customer was so sweet and sentimental, it makes it all worth it. Every time I read his comment I tear up a bit. Thank you Michael, you made my week!

Here's what Michael wrote regarding a purchase he made as a gift for his cousin....

"This light set was on my Grandmothers Christmas (tree) every year in the 1970's. My cousin Tim and I were obsessed with this light set. When our Grandmother passed in the 90's I inherited the light set. I always wished there were 2 so Tim could have one. I have been searching for a set for over 20 years that worked and was intact and only came close once. I was on Etsy looking for another gift and did a quick search for the lights and there they were. Finally found them. Tim loves them. I hope Grandma will see them on our trees this Christmas. The item was exactly as described and shipping was perfect."



Vintage Christmas Tree Light Covers Train Set by Radiant image 0


Vintage Christmas Tree Light Covers Train Set by Radiant image 2







Peace be with you friends and stay safe out there!
Diane and Guy Noir


Saturday, May 2, 2020

April Showers bring May Flowers

The Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis ) is the first flowering plant we have around here. It is native to the eastern part of the United States and Canada. When cut, the root and budding rootstalk (called the rhizome ) secrete a red fluid that gives the plant its name. Such a pretty flower! 


Bloodroot


A few other favorites are springing up too, the violets and the scilla are feeding the hungry bees!


Violets








Scilla Siberian Squill

We're still staying very close to home.  I went out to the grocery store the other day, it had been three weeks since I'd left home! And you know it really doesn't bother me much. Almost all of us at the grocery store were wearing masks and I kept running into one gal in the isles, and we had a couple of quick pleasant conversations and that was the most socializing I've done for a couple weeks other than emails and phone calls. 




On the nice days we're getting outside more, but in the mean time I've been watching YouTube way too much. Here is a favorite... Chunk the Groundhog. We watch on the big screen TV and even Guy likes to watch!
Hope this brings a smile to your face! 
Wishing you all good health and happiness! ~ Diane









Saturday, March 21, 2020

Bird Song

Spring is on the way....



We still have the beauty of nature to boost our spirits.  The early morning bird song 
reminds me that spring is on the way.  

Peace be with you,
Diane

Monday, March 16, 2020

Watching and Waiting


Every year around this time a Mama Raccoon starts showing up and hangs around in the big trees.  She's getting hungry from her partial hibernation (she is in the bear family after all).  We call her Big Mama Rac and we really don't know if it's the same raccoon each year but she seems to know us so we suspect that at least she's in the same family, perhaps a daughter of a previous Big Mama.






The female raccoons are going to have their kits soon and they are really hungry, so they show up early in the evening or mornings and watch and wait for us to fill the bird feeders.  We have a squirrel proof bird feeder which worked for awhile until the raccoons literally tore the top off. We gave up on trying to keep them out, so now the food is available to all who visit.






I saw Big Mama Rac in the tree and took her picture.  She ignored me for a bit but then woke up and stared at me.  I took a few more photos and then put the bird seed out.  After I went in the house, she climbed down the tree and proceeded to eat all the nuts and peanuts out of the mix before she climbed back up the tree for a nap before she headed back to her den.



We are like Big Mama now, watching and waiting for what is to come.  We are already practicing our social distancing. We started hearing the alarm that some of our friends in the medical field were voicing about the novel coronavirus and started stocking up weeks ago.  We have food, medicine and supplies to last for several weeks.  We both have risk factors for complications from the virus so we are trying to delay unset for as long as possible while the medical community figures out their plan of action and find the best treatments for people like us, (over 60 with risk factors).

Events all over our area are canceled, schools are closing. We were supposed to travel out of state for a wedding in April and have sent our regrets. In my wildest dreams, I really never saw this coming.  I really thought that this year was going to be better for us. I'm still hoping it will be.

My quote at the top of the page still stands...


“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.” 
~~ Robert Frost


Stay safe and healthy my dear blog friends.  💗 Diane



Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Spring Steps In

My last post to "Dear Winter" must have helped because Spring is starting to make an appearance around here.  Warmer temperatures are melting the snow and the lakes have thawed.

A few weeks ago I drove out to the Arboretum to check out the conservatory and thought I also might get in a winter walk, but the ice on the paths was just a bit to treacherous for me.  I did get some nice photos of the blooms inside and it was lovely so smell some of the pots of hyacinths that were placed around the building.


This gorgeous red amaryllis just glows against the backdrop of white snow! Most of that snow has now melted.




The orchids were stunning! So many colors, it was a relief from all the white!



In the image below, I captured a beautiful Cardinal waiting for his place at the bird feeder.


I haven't posted in awhile as we have been dealing with a health issue of my husband's. He developed a thyroid condition that effected his eyes.  He has gone through some surgery but is mending well. He'll be needing even more surgery in a few months.  This post had been in draft for awhile and I'd been so busy I forgot it was even there.  I haven't been on Social Media much and my Etsy shop has also been closed, but I'll to be back to a more normal schedule soon.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring and if you celebrate the Easter holiday, may it be a wonderful celebration for you and your families.
🌷🌷 Diane 🌷🌷