cage match

Ack!  I am behind schedule on everything right now, but wanted to make an effort to put out something this week.  

April Fools!  This pizza...

...is actually a big cookie, with frosting "sauce" (I ran out of red food coloring so it wasn't super convincing) and frozen/grated white chocolate for the cheese.  It was delicious!

Todd was also surprised by Nicolas Cage in our car back-up camera...

...courtesy of a small photo taped in front of the lens.  :)

Easter!  I made a really tasty carrot cake with a really easy frosting method.  Squiggles I can do.

Spring ephemerals!  They are going crazy right now.  Todd and I  have been so busy that I'm not even sure we'll get in our spring ephemeral hike this year, but I've seen so many on our regular trails...

yellow trout lily

virginia bluebells

celadine poppy

dwarf larkspur

dutchmans breeches

prairie trillium

And when the mayapples get tall...

Morels come out!

I gathered some and fried them up for supper this week.

Oh, redbuds are here and almost gone!

Ferns...

Trees...

spicebush 

norway maple

Bushes...

burning bush

Everywhere we go...

...we see life returning to the forest.  And some unwanted life, despite our cold winter...

Ticks have been insane this spring.  Even though Pepita is on a flea/tick preventative, she has had multiple ticks, and brought multiple ticks into the house.  Todd has found two ticks crawling on his body this week too.  Now we rub her down every single time she returns from being outside, with extra checks during the day.  So far so good!

Everyone is enjoying the sunshine.

We're going to have a lot more of it soon...we're running full-tilt into late spring...somehow!  Lots to do before the spring ends.  More soon!

fair weather and feathers

 We've been hard at work outside!

So many spring things in bloom or on the cusp...

jacob's ladder

peony

anemones

euphorbia

lilacs

ferns, lily of the valley

Lots of creatures out and about, too!

mayfly

tan slug

may beetle

net-winged beetle

eastern tiger swallowtail

teeny tiny feathers!!

And more beauty on our walks...

multiflora rose

purple phacelia

ferns

mayapples

wolf's milk fungus

It's a really nice time of year.

Have a great week!

 

teeth and toothwort

The redbuds are just just passing their peak.  They're everywhere around here and give a nice pop of color!

Last week, Todd and I took a walk in our wooded property section.  Beyond the back fence, blackberry bushes spread quickly in early summer, blocking our access...but it's lovely in spring.

So much lovely spring growth!

dutchman's breeches

crane fly orchid

trillium

dwarf cinquefoil

mayapples

so many ferns!

ragwort roundleaf, unopened...

...and opened.

slender toothwort

I love it back there.  We have two limestone bed streams...

...and a new smaller one, red from the iron beneath it.

No wonder we see so many animals on our trail cam, which is at the mouth of this stream (by the main pond).  It's a pretty perfect animal habitat...plenty of shelter and a water source.  We found evidence of quite a few deer back here, judging from the skeletal remains!

It's so peaceful back here that we're talking about hacking out a trail and hanging a hammock on the ledge overlooking the stream this summer!

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to weed a little every day, making slight progress...

...and hanging with the cats to relax.  They could teach a master class in chillaxing!

We're all loving the new growth that we're seeing every day...cats included, I think!  Apple tree is leafing out...

Lilac buds are starting to open!

Every day, something new.  I love spring!

Bed in front of porch...totally empty when we moved in!

Have a great week!