Sunday Stroll - Slow Melt

A few days ago, Micah was the happiest boy on the planet.

Maxine was not so sure.

For a while,  I hovered indoors,

tending seedlings in the lightbox,

and wondering when we would ever be able

to plant them out in the garden.

As the first semester of my grad classes winds down,

I contemplated a little personal reading.

Things are slowly thawing.  Each day the drifts dwindle.

Skies are blue

and birds are flying more easily

on graceful currents of air.

I wander the yard,

thinking of all the spring cleaning 

both indoors and out .

It feels good to be outdoors without a coat,

with the sun on my face,

and the breeze tugging my long gray ponytail.

There is one fellow in the family

who is not so thrilled

that winter is slowly melting away.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you joy.

Please skip on over to Steve's blog Out on the Prairie for a little prairie love!

Sunday Stroll - To Stroll or Not to Stroll

The photo above was taken yesterday,

through the kitchen window.  

You can see that the window was nearly covered in snow,

and the view outside is the table on the deck

after an overnight storm.

Today, we are experiencing high winds

and freezing rain,

so here are a few photos from this past week

before the storm.

The treeline along the northern property border

is carpeted with fluttering dried grasses 

and the crinkling leaves from last autumn.

The creek along the western edge of the cedar swamp

is a lively stream at this time of year.

The skies have been mostly gray,

but at least once this week,

a bit of sun winked playfully at us as we walked.

Mostly we've just been staying warm and cozy in the house.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you comfort.

Sunday Stroll - Winter in the Middle of Spring

Let's go!

The dogs are ready.

The sky is blue.

The snow is resting,

in deep comfort,

all along the trail.

We can rest ourselves,

in the arms of the Angel Tree,

near the edge of the creek.

Do you hear the creek welcoming us,

as it runs beneath the ice?

There are art pieces every where,

I see a face here, looking north.

There is a wide sweeping trail

cut through the cattails

at the south end of the marsh.

Perhaps it will lead us to spring.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you peace.

Monday Muse - More

This lovely burst of spring or summer scenery is just what I need as a full-scale winter storm bears down on my region.  We are expecting "back-breaker" snow; the wet, heavy snow of early April, that is difficult to plow through, and back-breaking to shovel.  I need to immerse myself in this beautiful music, and the butterflies flitting about as the music lifts into the air.

What inspires you, on this first Monday of April?

Sunday Stroll - Easter's Eve

A snow storm blew in on the early morning wind on Saturday.
The ground is frozen again.  Our breath makes trails in the air.

Yet, in the garden, the hopeful green tips

 of daffodil and tulips 

are pushing up through a glaze of early April snow.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you hope.