Time together -

We made the best of today.  

No big restaurant dinner - but Thai takeout in the gazebo

 for lunch was delicious in the sunshine.  

A bottle of Prosecco.  

Flowers cut from my own garden. 

A card to me and a card from me. 

A lot of memories to chat about.

Plenty of work inside and out to keep us busy.

For some reason I feel busier than ever!

Finches and Song ~

A damp morning here but sunny days on the way.

~ Music for NOW ~

Think of it as calming, not sad. Beautiful voices and lovely faces,
 We all need calm to get through this tough time.

 Agnus Dei - Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Papa finch keeping watch. . . . . . 

. . . . . . whilst Mama finch builds her nest.

They take breaks together in the now budding fig tree.

Oblivious to what we humans are facing, they make a home for a

new family and the future.

The flowers still bloom. . . . . . . 

 . . . . . the buds still burst forth on the hickory tree outside the bedroom window. . . . . . 

. . . . . .even the wisteria is opening and that makes me happy.

Please keep blogging, it's such a great way to keep in touch at this difficult time.

  Each morning I'm sure you, like us, get up hoping

 things are better. . . . . . . they are not, YET!  They will be though if we 

really try to follow the rules and regulations, and by now unless living under

 a rock, we know what they are.

Meanwhile we carry on best we can, remembering all the brave people

on the front lines working in every country, saving lives and trying to find

a way to stop this virus.

I'm off now to work on new posts for the days to come.

I will try to make the content cheery and positive. 

I am planning a giveaway soon so watch for that.  

Also a fashion post perhaps, after all, once we're able to get outside, 

meet up with family and friends, go to our favorite restaurants, 

even just to go shopping again, we will be ready to wear something

 bright and 'springy'.  

Anyone tired of track pants and sweatshirts yet?

Stop the World. . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . .I Want to Get Off!

Yes, the 1963 Tony Award winning musical starring

the late, great Anthony Newley, English actor, singer and songwriter, 

comes to mind. 

Forget the world just 'tilting'  - it now seems to be spinning out of control! 

If we could get off though where would we go?

I'm in the garden a lot. 

This morning it was raining lightly, thankfully dampening down

the heavy pollen coating everything in sight.

The photos in the collage below were taken today.

"Maybe more than ever before in my life, I’m grateful today to have a garden. What a blessing it feels like. I can’t imagine the weeks and months ahead without the refuge it will provide. Perhaps you all feel the same way". . . . . . . . Margaret Roach

The above came from famous gardener Margaret Roach (A Way To Garden.com).

 I read these words she wrote yesterday on her current post and asked her if I might

 share them with you, my wonderful readers, many of whom are gardeners. 

Margaret kindly gave me permission.

If you need information or help regarding anything to do with your own garden, 

Margaret is the person to go to . . . . . .and be sure to read her latest book, 

A Way To Garden - a hands-on primer for every season -

 and listen to her awesome podcasts with other well known gardeners also

on her website.

Yes, having a garden is certainly a blessing at this time. You know I have one,

just a quarter acre on which my cottage home sits comfortably. It's nothing

spectacular by any means and, in all honesty, it's no longer in tip top 

shape as it was when outdoor work was much easier in our younger days.

The front is neat and tidy with some beautiful trees I've planted and nurtured,

flowering shrubs, seasonal bulbs and perennials . . . . . and Bob keeps the 

lawn mown so passersby still comment on what a lovely yard we have!

After a very warm weekend the bluebells are up and opening.  

The birds are still nest building - more about the finches coming - and bluebirds

 seem interested in the birdhouse again so I'm glad I cleaned it out a couple

 of weeks ago.  

My daughter told me to hang my hummingbird feeder - rather early I think - but she

 said they are already in flight around her neighborhood a couple of miles away.

I want to stay positive in thought regarding how life is/will be perhaps for some time. 

Already some are depressed, bored, chomping at the bit to get out and live as we

 are used to.  Meanwhile please be brave, follow the rules which will be so important

 to rid us of this virus. . . . . . . . do things, make use of this quieter time, garden if 

you can, and have hope that this will end very soon.

Bless you and your loved ones.

The world has tilted . . . . . . .

 . . . . . and our homes have become the safest and most comfortable place to be.

Our little house finch couple continue to build their home in our porch hanging

 basket - a cozy nest for a clutch of eggs which hopefully produce a family of 

baby birds in the weeks to come.

The camellias have been amazing for several weeks but now, just as the azaleas

 are starting to bloom, Camellia japonica's lovely flowers are fading and falling

 to the ground.  

It's always a good idea to clear away fallen flowers as fungal disease is

common. Camellia petal blight causes flowers to turn brown rapidly, then

drop.  Sanitation is the best control: pick up and destroy all fallen blossoms

as well as infected ones on the plant. Remove and discard any existing mulch,

then replace with new mulch.

  

I'm somewhat concerned this shrub may have a fungal issue as many of the flowers

 did turn brown this year. I do try to pick up the fallen ones asap, however perhaps

 I should rake out all the old mulch and replenish. No excuses now for 'no time' to 

work in the garden!

They still look beautiful to me!

Small mercies -

The kindness of the garden is still sharing spring flowers - thank you garden and 

Mother Nature.

This evening, when the season of spring officially starts, we will all have much on

 our minds which is worrisome, negative, and downright frightening. 

Everyone is offering thoughts on ways to get through this terrible time so I 

will not say anymore on this point. We all know what we need to be doing!

Instead, here are some things which have kept me busy this week.

I did some pruning, clipping the pulling in the back garden.

I took stock of the now messy potting shed - made myself a note to clean it 

out this coming week when the temperatures will be exceptionally warm.

I'm hoping to find a way to buy some plants to pot soon - one nearby 

garden center will be taking orders online and you can drive up and have 

your plants put in your car - something to consider.

Our food supply is running low on things like fresh produce - not sure

how to handle that right now other than get to a shop first thing in the morning 

before too many people are about.

I baked a lot of muffins this week (also two loaves of bread) to share with 

my neighbors - put them on their front steps, rang the bell with my elbow,

and stood in their yards within a good distance for a quick chat.

We had a raccoon visit the garden a few days ago - actually not this one
 whom I photographed a couple of years ago in the back garden - a smaller one, 
probably a female, who was under my azalea bushes.  
Bob had spent a good couple of hours out there mowing, trimming and blowing, 
but she didn't come out until I walked out there, sans camera or phone.
She looked healthy but perhaps tired from having her daytime sleep disturbed 
so just bypassed us silently and crossed the road into the wooded area. 
Don't see any babies here so maybe they are in the woods. There is a large owl 
in our trees this week - and they are predators of baby raccoons, so fingers
 are crossed!

Life definitely goes on - proven by a lot of bird activity in the garden. 

Before I could even take the now shriveled Boston ferns down from the porch
 (left up over winter for the Carolina wrens to sleep in nightly), a pair of 
House finches started building a nest!  I haven't the heart to stop them, 
especially as we need all the entertainment we can get now we're isolated
 at home, and watching their diligence creating that cozy spot for their 
coming family is amazing.

The somewhat dowdy little female does most of the nest building, but the more

colorful male always comes along and keeps watch whilst she's in the fern weaving

 the bits and pieces she carries back time and time again. It's day four of construction

 and now they get very upset if I try to look in the nest. They are messy birds so there

 will be plenty of cleaning of the porch - but what the heck we all need chores to keep 

us busy!

I'm still kitty sitting and plan to be until Nala's 'dad', my next door neighbor, gets home. 

He's due back tomorrow night IF his flight makes it. This morning I think she was 

missing him as she was snuggling up with his gardening shoes on the enclosed porch. 

I'm enjoying it because it gets me out of the house. . . . . . . I find myself going 

back and forth to see her even more times than really necessary!

Sending you best wishes - may you and your families, friends and neighbors stay well.

Weekend odds and ends -

Another weekend, and this one has started off well with sunshine and 

warm temperatures.

A robin has been sitting on the head of a garden statue outside the window 

for over 10 minutes, singing non-stop. He stopped as some dog walkers

passed the house but didn't fly off, then just puffed up and started his melody

again. . . . . . . such a lovely sound early in the morning.

 I'm kitty sitting for the coming week as Nala's person, our neighbor, is heading to Maine. 

Nala is easy to care for and, as it's warm, I'll be putting her out in the screened porch 

during the daylight hours which makes her a happy cat. . . . . . . . she'll be watching

plenty of these critters below. . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . .in my back garden yesterday, this female squirrel made short order of

 the only suet cake I had left - note to self, buy more if/when I go shopping again!

My 'snowdrops' are in full bloom now.

These are actually Leucojum aestivum 'Summer Snowflake", member

of the Amaryllis family of bulbs. Thankfully deer resistant hardy perennials.

I baked a loaf last evening so had good toast and marmalade for breakfast today. 

Can't say there's really anything I enjoy more to start my weekend morning - a good 

slice of crunchy toast with butter. . . . . and of course thick cut Scottish marmalade.

Stay well, be happy, and enjoy your weekend.

Other than taking our neighbor to the airport later,

I think we'll be staying close to home.

Bedrooms and Birdies!

Still working on the bedroom, have to get it totally 

back together before posting any photos.

I've been framing some art to hang. Bob continues to edit

his stuff and load up his dresser drawers again!

Still waiting installation of new window blinds and

rehanging drapery panels.

Worked in the garden yesterday, a total of two hours before my lower back

 screamed "STOP", so I did rather than be in pain the remainder of the day.

At this age we know our limits!

 Beautiful day to be outside, dead headed the hydrangeas

 and daffodils, pruned climbing roses, cleaned out and filled bird feeders, 

pulled and clipped some annoying ivy, and picked up a lot of fallen twigs.

Then there was the birdhouse annual clean out ready for a new 

generation of renters this spring.

  Bob lifted it off the post and when we removed the top we were amazed, 

and thrilled, to find each of the five birdie apartments contained a nest - I 

believe two were Eastern bluebirds, the others perhaps White-breasted

 nuthatches whom I've often seen around the birdhouse in spring and summer.

Besides much grass, some twigs, and handfuls of leaves from

the Japanese acer, there were also a lot of grey and white feathers

 and a few strips of plastic woven into the nests. Just amazing how those

 little birds fit so much through those 1-1/2 inch holes. . . . . . and then

construct such soft, comfortable nests.

Magnolia liliiflora still blooming - green leaves starting to open also.

Despite all the work, I have to admit I do love my garden. . . . . and

of course my beautiful birds.

Sunday stroll . . . . . . . . .

Yesterday was such a perfect day here.

We took an afternoon stroll with our daughter through her neighborhood, 

breathing in the air filled with the scent of freshly mown grass and blossom.

Daffodils and hyacinths everywhere - oh the perfume of the latter - always

 amazing.

Under a cloudless, deep blue sky, children were outside, playing - always a nice

 thing to see these days - riding bikes and motorized 'cars'.  Imagine driving

 your own tiny Land Rover or Jeep before you're even old enough for kindergarten! 

Their parents chatted with neighbors in the street, cute dogs were being walked, birds 

were singing and poking through mounds of dried leaves in the shrubbery

and woody areas. . . . . . . 

Spring is in the air!

A female red-tail hawk watched from the wood.

I want one of these in my garden.

Speaking of gardens - I've gotta go now - need to work in mine today, deadheading, 

pruning, and a lot of cleaning up awaiting.

Are you gardening yet?