What a Spring

Getting ready for warmer weather is always hectic. But when warmer weather gets here before you're ready, woof!

I've overdone twice so far this spring, and it always comes back to haunt me. But, I'm never lacking in projects, so I just have to change direction, rather than fret over the inability to do what I had planned for a specific day.

I've made a quilt - Baby quilt for a friend's baby girl, Erika.It's a simple 9-patch block but with a little tweek to make it look like it has circles, which is always a fun thing to add. It has 39 different pinks in it - this is why I love quilting. It allows you to use scraps to create a completely new piece of fabric. Re-use at one of its more attractive moments.

I've also made a flag for the front yard to help my brother sell some of his eggs. This was a really fun project! It's part of an old sheet and crayons. I traced the picture on, and colored away! Well, warmed the fabric up with the iron, and then colored - it absorbs better that way. I hung it out today, but it was a tad windy this afternoon, making it a challenge. But, it's a prototype, so I'll keep working on it. Then I'll make one for my brother's property as well. Since he has constant wind where he is, it needs to be far tougher than here in the valley.

Pretty snazzy, huh?

So then I cleaned the fish pond. It's a puddle. But Dad likes it, so it was my turn to do the Spring cleaning of it. Never again. My brain is still spinning out from doing that. I did find out we have 8 fish instead of 6 instead of 4. We started with 4 3 years ago. Then we had 6. Now we have 8.

And I did find out that frogs indeed don't rot, but mummify. Pretty amazing! He was dead and just a bag of water when I scooped out some leaves, so just figured he'd burst and that would be the end of it. Nope - in only 3 days, he's completely dried and mummied. Mom turned green when I showed her, but her sister thought it was pretty cool.

I've gotten the first part of the garden planted - peas, spinach, salsify, sweet peas and onions. I can throw beets in any time, and will be putting shallots in just because I have some and can find the room. The rest, thankfully, has to wait another 4 weeks - or more. That allows me to work on other parts of the yard - like weeding the flower beds.

Daffodils are in full bloom, the weeping cherry is going to be in full bloom tomorrow - the first bud popped today. You can just watch that open up. Just gorgeous!

And the rhubarb is up! I've always been fascinated with how the leaves come up, but finally took a picture. It's like eggs hatching brains that unfold into the leaves. Very cool!