Harbingers of Spring

The pussywillows have run their cycle and are at the ugly-fuzzy-yellow-pollen-almost-a-leaf stage.   The forsythia is in full yellow riot.  My quince bush is in the tight bud phase, ready to burst forth with myriad pink flowers.  And the lilacs are beginning to leaf out.

The crabgrass in the gravel driveway has begun to grow like the weed it is. The moss on trees and fenceposts has turned a violent green.  Trees are sending up suckers like shooting stars.  And the birds are getting noisier and noisier as the boys practice their rusty mating calls.  And the other day I saw a robin fly by with nest-building material in its mouth.

I am so ready for spring!  These signs of greenery and new life are glad tidings to my winter-weary heart!

Can Spring Be Far Away?

There's pussywillows out there in the woods.  I just know it.  Spring is just around the corner.  And the pussywillows are out.

How do I know it?  Because of all the mewling in the trees.  It's not cats stuck up there.  It's pussywillows.  And that means spring isn't far off, despite what Punxsutawney Phil says.  Six more weeks of winter?  Bah!  Gimme some sunshine!

And pussywillows, which I adore. 

Tap-tap-tap. Hello? Can you hear me?

I've been unable to get into Blogger to update my blog, but today the powers-that-be finally allowed me in. Praise be. Now, what to talk about? New Year's resolutions? I do 'em. Cooking/baking/recipes? I do 'em. Photography? Bingo!

I live in rural Western Washington, and in case you hadn't heard, we've been having perfectly awful weather: 4 snowstorms in December, one right after the other, and another snowstorm and record-setting rains in January. Weatherwise, it's been pretty spectacular.

The child in me still loves the beauty and novelty of snow, so I grabbed my trusty camera and headed outdoors. I ended up with some of the prettiest pictures I have ever taken, and I share a few of them here with you. These pictures were taken on my property, mostly in my paddock and wooded pasture. All pictures are copyrighted, so be forewarned. :-) If you lift them without permission, the embedded tracking device will allow the boogy man to show up on your doorstep demanding a Large Fee.

#1 - My mailbox stand

#2 - Paddock (foreground) & pasture (beyond fence)

#3 - My back yard

#4 - Tree in paddock