Sunday Stroll - Greening Up

In the herb garden,

grape hyacinth are blooming,

just a few feet from golden daffodils.

In the front yard, nestled in close to the house,

sunny squills are blooming pale and delicate,

at the edge of a sprawling patch of old-fashioned myrtle,

now bursting into bloom.

In the garden,

the purple tips of the first few spears of asparagus

are pushing up through the earth,

while rhubarb,

horse radish.

and chamomile thrive nearby, 

greening up and growing quickly 

with the first hints of warmth.

All around, the yellow cheer of early dandelions is emerging.

I am happy to see them,

and it seems I am in good company.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you good cheer!

Hop on over to the Steve's blog, Out on the Prairie, to stroll through the tulips!

Sunday Stroll Invitation

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, 

places to play in and pray in, 

where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. 

~ John Muir

Will you get out and walk today, in the fresh air, while the birds sing and the flowers yearn toward the sun?  Will you, rather, dodge rain drops and storm clouds and take shelter beneath a wide-armed tree or a generous overhang?  

I shall do one or the other.  There are clouds threatening and a light breeze, but some patchy blue in the sky and a bright sprawl of light through the clouds where the sun should be. 

 If you do take a stroll today, and if you are inclined to share photos of your walk on your blog, please post here and I will add you to a list of strollers.  Would love to see a long list of strollers, as I used to post in the early days of this blog! 


It's Tulip Time Out on the Prairie.  You don't want to miss all the color and detail in Steve's tulip stroll!



quote from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_muir.html

Wordless Wednesday - Birch Medley

Sunday Stroll - New Growth

"Look closely.  The beautiful may be small."

~ Immanuel Kant

Beneath the blushing canopy of maple buds,

through the wet mass of last autumn's leaves,

new growth is rising.

Plush new leaves of silvery mullein,

and spikes of dandelion greens,

rise near cucumber-scented burnet,

and the feathery first leaves of Queen Anne's Lace.

The already thorny rosette of thistle swells near the swamp,

while field daisies push up through vibrant moss,

along side wild strawberry,

and sweet clover.

The moss grew slowly through winter,

and is lush and verdant in the early days of spring.

Tiny bugles of lichen celebrate the arrival

of warmer air and silky fog;

Spring has nestled in to the woodland.

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

Sunday Stroll Invitation

While I know many of you will be exceptionally busy with family gatherings today, if your plans allow for a walk in nature, perhaps with family and friends, and if you post photos from your stroll, please comment here.  I will update this post to include a list of strollers so that we may all share in the beauty of the earth in mid-April.

Saturday Snapshot

I see waves of gray cloud and sheets of rain, rolling eastward. Lightning flashes, and swims through the rain like a luminous fish.

I hear the low, insistent murmur of thunder and the splash of a million raindrops on the tin roof of the barn.

I smell spring, fresh and rising. I feel cool and refreshed sitting on the patio under a roof,  with a late cup of coffee.

Micah is beside me, drenched and relaxed. We were walking in the woods when the storm blew in. I might never have chosen to venture out in it on purpose, but found it exhilarating to be caught up in the wild magnificence of an April storm.

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

A Little Quote and a Little Note

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, 

the human soul is apt to revive also.

~ Harriet Ann Jacobs

So, here is the leading edge of spring.  

The frogs are singing in the pond,

the birds are singing in the trees. 

Here in these northern hills,

our spring flowers are not yet blooming,

but there is softness in the catkins

and the frayed edges of autumn's remains.

The air is lovely and alive,

and it is a beautiful thing

to take a deep breath ,

in a still and quiet place,

on the leading edge of spring.

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

quote from:  https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_nature.html