Spring Has Made it!

 Good morning to all.  Yes, spring has made it to our area.  It has been so lovely and warm.  Now we will still have some cool days and nights - but the world is coming back to life.  I love it.

The past couple days were in the 80's!  Today 70's and VERY windy.  Storms off and on.

Last night I was awakened about midnight with thunder.  Didn't last long.  Back to sleep and I got woke up to quite a loud noise.  It was 2:30AM.  I get up and all is good in the house and I look out the bedrooms windows and I see the rain barrel has blown over!  I have one out and it is a little heavy - even has bricks in the bottom.  The wind!!!  So I put on flip-flops and go out in jammies to set it inside the back gate.  It is hard to wrangle.  Blown over by the wind!  Geesh.  Never had that happen before.

It was amazing how warm it was outside.

Just a little tour of the yard - not a lot.  But things are getting so lovely and in just a couple days things have really grown and greened.  Weeds are growing like crazy!  No matter what else grows - the weeds are always there.  LOL

The perennial bed is really over doing itself.  Lilies of all kinds are up, poppies busting the bounds of the flowerbed, Echinacea, phlox, coreopsis all popping up.  The tulips and daffodils are done.  They were all over the area for a couple weeks.  My gifted iris have started showing green!  Next color will be poppies.  You can see the peonies in the background - they have gotten tall.  Lots of empty pots to be filled with garden goodies soon!

                                                     A different view from the other side.

           Grape arbor is starting to leaf.  This was a couple days ago - it is really popping out today!

Lovelies starting to bloom.  I always forget what this is called.  It was a gift from a friend right after G passed.  It is just lovely this spring.  Such dainty little flowers.

The vinca vine is blooming out front, lambs' ear is growing in leaps and bounds, spiderwort is coming up, lemon balm and mint are all flourishing, just so many lovely things to look at.

It seems to be a bumper crop year for purple dead nettle - my goodness, I have a crop going on out there.  It is just thick in certain areas.  I have seen many people say they have tons this spring.  I need to get busy and figure out something I can do with it, besides pull it!!!  It is medicinal in many ways.

Do you use it for anything?  Let us know if you do.  I have a couple sites saved that give different ideas - but like to hear someone who is actually using it.

Bits always wants to make sure I know it is close to breakfast time each morning, and he comes in yelling to wake me at about 5AM!  I pet him and assure him soon.  I lay there and listen to the birds just chirping and singing their songs in the dark.  It is something.  What a great way to start the day - being needed, listening to nature and saying my morning prayers.

One last picture.  Buddies sharing a window - enjoying the fresh air.  There is a 2nd one open not 4" to the left of Bitsy (double window) - but they seem to like being together.

Cute note - there is a black kitty that roams around outside.  It is the neighbor's cat, Licorice.  It hangs out here a lot (to hunt birds I believe).  If Bits see it - he thinks it is Blackie and gets all worried.  He starts crying and yelling and running from window to window.  I tell him Blackie is in the other room and point - he turns and looks that way - then runs in and finds him.  That is his buddy for sure.  Sometimes Blackie comes to find him, and it quiets him down.  Two peas in a pod!!!

Have a great day my friends.  Stay safe and enjoy all the gifts of spring!!!!!