happy happy toy toy

 Green green green!

Things are really popping now.

apple tree budding

garden spearmint

lilacs

garden euphorbia

We're going to have to take animal predation a little more seriously this year, though.  Once again, I have lots of beautiful columbine mounds...

...whose flowers get eaten by rabbits as soon as they send up a stalk.

Last year was the first year that we didn't get a single flower from the garden...in prior years, there were so many!  Ugh...rabbits.

Unusual - especially in the spring! - the deer are getting into our front beds for the daylilies.

Todd has caught deer in our front bird feeders several times...they must have noticed the daylilies while passing through.  

Daffodils are still going strong, and other bulbs that I've planted...scilla, muscari, and hyacinth...are in bloom now too!  I love my little spring bouquets.

 

My indoor seed test went well, too.  About a third of the seeds tested sprouted.

Nice to be able to eliminate old seeds and add seeds to my planting pile.  

Claudia is not ready to give up on winter, though.  She loves sleeping in the heated barn when it gets really cold, and I frequently find her sitting on the doorstep out there, hoping to sneak in for a nap!  

Otherwise...Todd and I were at a toy show all weekend.  Now, you can imagine how I feel about toy shows, as someone who hates noise, crowds, germs, and deviations from my routine.  My energy drains out by about 9 a.m. on the first (of three) days and I feel a lot like this kid I saw:  

It's always kind of fun to see adults in costumes...

...but with my arm in a sling because of terrible tendonitis and my knee wonky from three days on concrete, you can imagine how thrilled I am to be home and now potentially YEARS away from the next toy show!  Recovery from a toy show is really tough...they're so tiring.  Even TODD day-naps for a couple of days after a show!

So glad to be home with my cats.

Hoping for a quick recovery so that I can be back on the trails in a couple of days...have a great week!

the last straw(berry)

 Spring is popping!

I planted bags of muscari bulbs when we moved here and I love seeing them every spring. 

I gathered up the last of the daffodils for our spring table and mantle...

...and made small-batch lemon crinkle cookies to celebrate the warmer weather.

I love making small-batch desserts, and Easter was a great chance to make a few things that were festive but in limited supply.  I started with candy.  We both love Reese's peanut butter eggs, but they have a lot of nasty ingredients.  It's really easy to make a healthier version at home.  This recipe makes only 5 eggs and uses honey, not sugar.  It's as simple as mixing up a few ingredients, patting the dough into a rough egg shape...

...fridge, then dip in melted chocolate chips.  Sprinkles, of course.

They aren't as sweet as Reese's eggs, but somehow tasted better.  I also made sweet rolls, modified.  I made a quick strawberry freezer jam from this recipe, and used the cinnamon roll recipe here for the quick bread (instead of a yeast-raised dough).  I crushed a few tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberries into the dough, rolled it out, and spread the jam on top.  Another quick roll and slice and they were ready to be baked.  By coincidence, a "C" initial!  Perfect!

Frosted with a lemon cream cheese and more sprinkles, they were perfect for our Easter spread, right next to the carrot pumpkin muffins!

I have to say that everything was tasty, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the strawberry rolls, considering that I'm not a huge fan of strawberry.  But the soft bread with thick ribbons of lightly sweetened jam running through was absolutely my favorite.  I will definitely be making this again!  

As much as we've enjoyed getting outside and finding new growth...

...I've been more focused on inside flowers.  My sweet peas are finally robust enough to move to the porch for a few days before being planted in the garden...

...and I've been eyeballing the many bags of old seeds that I've got laying around.  Some are 5 years old, and the only way to know if they're viable is to plant them.  I decided to do a test planting of three seeds per bag.  I spread soil on a blue tray and planted 15 different seeds.  After just a few days, success!

I've got about 50% germination.  Those bags will be added to my 2023 pile.  I'll give the other seeds another week, and then the bags will get tossed.  A lot to do...I haven't even started on cleaning up the garden beds or laying the paths.  It's been so rainy and intermittently chilly that I haven't wanted to start...but it's time, ready or not.  The kittens are loving the sun and it's time for me to get there, too!

Have a great week!

removers of dung and plants, very young

 It's absolutely perfect weather...warm and rainy...and I've been spending as much time outside as I can.  I found this little treasure by the barn this week:  

It's the skull of an Eastern cottontail rabbit.  The back of the skull is gorgeously porous!  It reminds me of sea coral.

We've got quite a few rabbits around here, so finding an occasional skull is not unusual.  I was excited to find a scarab dung beetle, too!  Check out that horn!

He's a bit different from the dung beetles that I saw in the south:

I'd love to see one in action again!  

Spring showers bring April flowers here.  

Lilacs and apple blossoms are blooming concurrently this year and make a gorgeous bouquet.

A few spring bulbs are still producing!

The grass is carpeted with violets, too low and dense for the lawnmower blade.

I saved and planted white violets last year and have been rewarded with a big group of them this spring!

Borga has developed quite the green thumb.  :)

She loves to romp in the fields and back by the pond...

...or hang out by Todd.

She and Claudia fight for Todd's attention. 

 

giving Todd a foot rub the way that only a cat can!

She's a big help when I'm working, too.

Unfortunately, she hasn't had much of an opportunity to help, since I haven't been in the garden much.  I made an effort and planted about 75 poppies in the "Hunk o' Seedling" style, in clumps rather than as individuals. Hopefully it's not too late in the season for them!  I'm delayed with everything because of my shoulder/elbow tendonitis.  I'm extremely limited when it comes to digging and weeding - pretty much essentials this time of year.  I'm not sure how my 2022 garden will progress.  I've got quite a few seedlings, so I'll have to continue with my tendonitis stretches and see what happens.  So far, I'm spending more time in-house with Calliope than outside working in the nice weather.  

She's good company, at least.  Have a great week!