sewbizgirl

Looks like a great place to observe nature, WMUT. How nice.

LC, I'm not familiar with electric bikes. Are they like a moped?

NZquilter

WMUTeach, what a lovely backyard you have! I would have my windows open all day just to hear the sounds of nature. Does it get humid, living by a marsh?

​​​I love reading of everyone's spring. I had only a few sad lone tulips come up this year. The cats dug up the rest of the bulbs. 😞 But the leaves are blooming and soon all the trees surrounding our house will be green again and I love that.

This week I managed to get a couple of rows done on my "Fading Charms" quilt that I started last year. Oh it felt so good to sew again! When I oiled my machine up and dry sewed for a minute, I actually choked up a little. Nothing as soothing as a purr of a vintage Singer!

Quossum

@WMUTeach, I’m envious of that backyard view! Wow! I love nature, birds, flowers, all of the associated spring joys. Here on the Texas Gulf Coast, where we typically have only two seasons, Summer and It Gets a Bit Chilly, the Spring weather is a brief but very precious respite.

There are seasonal transitions. The bird population shifts from the winter to the summer crew. The trees are putting out their vibrant green buds. Spring showers, more gentle than the harsh summer torrents, arrive with flickering arcs of lightning in the sky. And of course there’s our famous Texas bluebonnets, blankets of indigo blue swaddling entire hillsides with color.

As for myself, naturally Spring Break is a HUGE deal in my profession, and this year was no exception. My problem is that I try to do too much during the break! And then we had another break for the Easter weekend, and I ended up going to Arkansas to pick up my mom from my sister’s. It was beautiful there, an Arkansas spring at one of their many gorgeous state parks, a real soul rejuvenator. But it was also a LOT of driving! I don’t typically use the spring for any big “spring cleaning” projects; I save those for summer when I have more time. Spring…is the time to recharge, to let the life of the world flow into me and hopefully get me past the hump and into the push of the last bit of the school year!

I got the PM and will have my May birthday packet prepared and on its way this weekend. I think I’m getting the hang of packaging these things. Hope everyone has enjoyed this newbie’s contributions!

The picture is one of my favorites, my precious Italian Greyhound, Pixie, long gone now but much loved, in the glory of our Texas Springtime.

Janice McC

Good morning all. Love the spring pix! A couple of spring celebrations come to mind. First is baby bluebirds! We’ve had bluebirds houses for years but when we moved to WNC we didn’t have a good spot for it. Last winter we threw caution to the wind and just put in a box close to the house. Don’t you know the bluebirds didn’t care where it was and they laid five eggs. Four hatched and now we’ve got a family living along side of us. There’s a pic of them at about a day old. Hummingbirds are my second favorite sign of spring. They began appearing about a week ago but remain few and far between. Soon we’ll be having aerial wars over the feeder. Then there are all the flowers popping up. Just this morning I discovered the neighbor’s wisteria is beginning to bloom. We have azaleas, hellebores, huechera and today it’s off to the nursery to get some annuals to further brighten the place up.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

travelinggramma

I have my card for our birthday girl ready to go. I have swapped with her for years- I can recall mailing the boomerang blocks across the ocean to her - and saving those precious stamps on her return!! Here is to another year of swaps!

I love the flowers of course - and even raking out the old leaves from the garden to uncover the new growth. Mothers day was always Lilacs and Lily of the Valley - both grew in our yard in NY. My son has them but who knows when they will bloom here!
I just brought the screens out and washed them. this is a first for his house - and I can not recall how I took them out last fall - should be interesting. But will be raining for next few days so they will sit and wait for next nice warm day. Love to be able to open the windows and let the dead winter air out - and the light spring air in!
Now is the time I need to pack up the motorhome. Of course all our food has gotten mingled with his - and he keeps saying "take whatever, just let me know what I need to buy" - seems he couldn't find the mayo last time!
And I can't forget about the fresh vegetables and fruits will be coming up and enjoyed.

petthefabric

Today, went to beach at Levy County park on Gulf Coast. Then to lunch. Company was very good.

For spring thinking of cutting my hair, ~20 inches. Get ready for summer.

WMUTeach

What marvelous photos from so many of you. Thank you. NZ asked about humidity near the marsh. Amazingly it does not get any more humid by the marsh than any where else in Michigan. The water is low, less than two feet deep and thickly matted and willed with water weeds and plants. It spreads over acres and acres of land. The only large open water is far from me. Near me the water is just about deep enough for the ducks and geese to swim by. We have nice strong sun in the summer and pleasant breezes so the air does not become heavy with moisture nor does it smell because the water is always moving fed by springs.

NZ, I love the sound of a featherweight too. This spring at the quilt retreat I attend about half of the gals had featherweights for their sewing. It was like soothing music for three days. Congratulations on slipping away for some stitching. A brief mental health break that will produce warm snuggles for someone else eventually..

Quossum, what a charming little Pixie peeking out from behind the blooms. I had never heard of Italian Greyhound. Looked them up and what a perfect size for a home! They sound like a good four-footed family member. I am locked in 1950s version of Texas, cowboys and dusty little towns "along the trail " and tornadoes. If forget that Texas had a coast, until there is a hurricane. Bluebonnets are so lovely. We have them in Michigan but just the general lupine and the blooms are more tightly packed on each stem. Do bluebonnets have a scent?

Pet, you must have lots of hair. 20 inches off is a lot of hair. Do you donate or just cut and go?

Janice, I can't believe I am saying this but I have never seen a blue bird. They are very present in my area but not near my home. I see more of the woods and water way birds and have to my knowledge never seen a bluebird. I see lots of their houses particularly around the edges of farmer's fields when I drive just a mile or two from my home near the vineyard, hay fields and orchards.

Looking forward to more spring distraction stories. Thank you to all.

Quossum

Thank you! Yes, little Pixie was quite a sweet little girl, and was also my first Agility dog. Here's a link to a YouTube of her in her prime. The quality of the vid isn't all that wonderful, as it's from "the early days" of video and YT in general, but you get the idea!

https://youtu.be/iSZ_V7j_SCo

And yes, Texas has dry desert landscapes, beaches, forests, and of course heavily urban areas...a bit of everything. Bluebonnets...I don't think they have much of a scent except for your general "flower" kind of smell. They're more about the looks!

I'm enjoying the spring stories and pictures. Keep them coming, everyone!

JENNR8R

Wow! Pixie was quite a high jumper! She looks like she was enjoying every minute.

ibex94

What a beautiful dog!! What great pictures of spring! You all are rocking the Earth Day celebration f'sure!