New Year 2019

Scene at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but this year I'll try to do the following...

I'll do my best to be kinder, more patient, more open minded and less judgemental.
It's been hard the last few years, but I'll try and give it a go!

I'll try to look on the bright side of life and enjoy each day by finding the good
in someone or something.  This one is really not very difficult for me,
I've been doing it all my life!

Vintage New Year's Card Featuring Blue Forget-Me-Nots

On difficult days I'll try to remember all the happiness I've had in my life. Pulling out the old photos is a good way of remembering all the fun and interesting people I've met and places I've been. Maybe I'll even pick up the phone and call some old friends I haven't talked to in awhile! Only introverts will understand that this is a challenge!

A Snowy Scene in My Backyard

I will continue to revere nature and its creatures. Again I've been doing this for years. Growing up on a farm, I spent a lot of time on my own exploring the far flung corners of our property and enjoying the pastures, creeks, ravines and wooded areas. All of which contained magical and interesting things! Now I enjoy my own backyard and am blessed to be able to visit our large arboretum that is full of wonderful plants and natural environments.

Happy New Year My Friends!
I hope you've all enjoyed the holidays and are ready to take on the new year. I'm very thankful for all of you that have visited and taken the time to comment on my little blog.
Who knows what the future may hold for us!
Diane 

Spring was Short ...

Yes it's me! This is a super long post, so you might want to grab a beverage and settle down for a bit.  I'm trying to catch up on what's happened since I last posted, so here goes.

Maybe you noticed, but spring was really short.  One month ago it looked like this in our backyard!

Even my Norwegian Forest Cat was sick of the snow! Guy was not amused by the late snow fall and our really long winter!

But then we started to see some changes and a few thunderstorms crept in to get rid of the final traces of snow! The image below does not even come close to how gorgeous this rainbow was!

The image below was taken about a week later, and shows the trees just budding out. The sun made them glow like gold!

Not sure if you have ever watched the show "The Big Bang Theory", but I always pause the DVR so I can read the notes at the end by Chuck Lorre. This one really sums up my feeling about the current occupant in the White House and the past year.

Above: The lake thaws and the plums bloom.
Below: Out for a walk I saw this pretty Flowering Almond shrub.

The lovely lilacs bloomed like crazy this year and the scent always take me back to my childhood.

The crabapple blossoms don't last long but add a needed color infusion to the backyard!
After months of white and gray it's nice to see color again!

Guy waits for a chipmunk...

Pink geraniums and Dame's Rocket....

Suddenly our temperatures are 20 degrees above normal and it feels like August. Don't tell me there's no global warming because it should be pretty obvious to everyone by now that our climate is changing and not in a good way.... Anyway, as I said spring was short, and now it already feels like summer, not just hot, but sticky humid too.  It feels like Kansas City weather to me, it's not supposed to feel like this in Minnesota.... So yes, I'm already complaining that it's too hot! Yes it was too cold and now it's too hot!! Apparently there is no "Normal" anymore.

Dot enjoys a little salad. She loves to chew on this wild grass next to the lake and we walk her out there and let her free range a couple times a day for her greens!

So finally, all caught up. 

What say you?

~ Diane ~