Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Springing into April



"Today has been a day dropped out of June into April."
Anne in Anne of Windy Poplars (L.M. Montgomery)

The sun streams in through the living room window, lulling me into idleness in spite of the streaks and dust I see there. Cherry tree petals float through the air and drift into soft pink heaps along the curbs. In my garden the hyacinths are at their peak, sweetly fragrant. Bees busy themselves in the muscari, curling their bodies around the blue um-shaped flowers in order to extract every bit of nectar. 

This weather is too lovely to last. This evening clouds will roll in bringing much needed rain. Out in the garden the soil is dry and pulling weeds difficult. 


Our daughter and her husband visited Japan in February and brought back this cute owl bell for our garden. Tim hung it on Saturday, on a corner of the garden shed where we'll be able to see and hear it. 


The garden beds are mostly bare. I set out strawberry plants, chosen from among all the runners that clog the mulch paths between the garden beds. It's hard to keep the strawberries contained. My cousin is a part owner of a local fair trade coffee business and he recently advertised burlap sacks, for free, to use as mulch on vegetable beds. He's used them with success, so I went by and picked up a trunk full. I hope they help keep the weeds down for they have been ferocious here the last couple of years. I plan to put in carrots, radishes, and lettuce this week.  


Our grandson turned 5 in February and we promised him a ride at the go-cart track when it opened. On Saturday he and Grandpa set out together. His father drove another go-cart by himself. Such a big helmet on such a little neck. It's too bad that the protective hair net fell over Felix's eyes.


Another successful sheet pan dinner. Sausages in chunks, with carrots and asparagus. I added the asparagus for the last 15 minutes of roasting. The seasonal change is inspiring, don't you find? The flavours of lemon, fresh green things, and tart rhubarb are what I'm anticipating these days. 
  

Spring break is over and I'm back to teaching. I have a few sewing projects on the go - a shirt for myself, a table runner to complete, and a collection of produce bags that I want to make. 
The evenings are so full of light and loveliness just now and when I walk after dinner the sky slowly streaks to watercolour washes of yellow and pink. I come home and light a candle, not for light, but for coziness. 

How is April springing (or falling if you live in the southern hemisphere) in your corner? 

30 comments:

  1. Love the owl bell. Your sheet pan dinner sounds great! Spring is slowly creeping in, though Charlotte NC which is 2 hours east of me did have snow flurries this morning! I am hoping to get out this weekend and plant lettuce and radishes.

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  2. It's beautiful today. My pansies are smiling in the parking lot and all of the spring bulbs are blooming. I'm going to make a sheet pan dinner of chicken thighs with asparagus and little potatoes and silver skin onions. I'm looking forward to a call to TOC soon.


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  3. Spring is well on its way here. Cornwall is much warmer than other areas and plants are more forward.
    Your beds look very well covered, what a good idea to use the burlap. It should keep the weeds down.

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  4. Our glorious weather has disappeared and we are now into April shower time. At least suitable for the season and helping the dry garden like yours. I love the pretty owl bell and your pretty garden photos. Such an inspiring time of year. Have a good week. B x

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  5. Those burlap sacks are great in the garden!!!
    Love how you hev used your seaglass too...I have been out collecting more this week.
    Enjoy the sun while it lasts...its actually hot this afternoon, but I know our gardens and forests need the rain.

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  6. Your post shouts spring! Its in full bloom here except that we had a surprise mini snow storm this morning. Sure was pretty to watch fall from the sky and even stick a little to the warm ground. The temperatures down in the low 30s is a good reminder why we don't plant our garden until after April 15th.

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  7. Anonymous1:53 PM

    your spring has sprung!!!I love that shot of grampa and grandson, that is priceless,, your sheet pan dinner sounds really good too. You have lots of projects on the go as well, I have a table runner and skirt on my sewing table, so I think we are both happy busy people lol,,

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  8. Oh poor Felix! How annoying! Hope that he still had some fun. Guess you’ll all have to go again!

    I’m still under snow, which makes me happy to see your springy pictures. The good thing about a slow melt is that the risk of flooding diminishes daily.

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  9. I still get teaching dreams, usually about letting the kids go home too early. I never did that in real life, but I did have two first graders that ditched at lunch time to go to the mall. Now that was scary until we figured it out. Did a bit of my own gardening this week. Transplanted volunteer pansies and got my peas seeds in. Hopefully the rain will be followed by warm weather while we are gone for two weeks. - Margy

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  10. April has sprung quite nicely over here, thank-you! It's looking lovely in your corner!

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  11. We too have had two weeks of amazing sunshine! And indeed, while there are still patches of snow on the ground, I can see that we are in need of rain! Your pictures are lovely, and your writing always evokes a sense of peace and contentment. Will look forward to seeing what other beautiful things you create in your sewing room :) I too enjoy a candle or two in the evening after dusk has fallen, it has a beautiful way of ushering in coziness for the evening, after we've walked. The sunsets are not as brilliant as winter, but still beautiful, although the last evening in March the sunset was a stunner. Enjoy your week... and oh yes, that sheet pan dinner looks amazing! I must try one soon :) Blessings!

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  12. Sadly we had a few Spring like days and then the storms bringing winds and rain returned with a vengeance. No ferries today as it is to awful. It was a joy to visit your blog today and enjoy the little tour of your garden and admire the candlelight. Such contentment is a joy.

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  13. The Japanese bell is beautiful, such a lovely gift. I loved Japan and would like to return some day - found it very peaceful/gentle feeling compared to the more chaotic life around here!

    You sound busy as always dear Lorrie - glad you had good weather during your spring break time. Garden chores run rampant (like strawberry runners!) with spring burgeoning all around. Good to put the coffee bags to such good use.

    We've just had three nights below freezing and are praying the plants aren't damaged - warming up as of today with the sun back thankfully ----------- and the new HVAC system will be completed today also, it was cold in the house the past couple of nights with only space heaters running!
    Mary x

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  14. The Japanese bell is beautiful, such a lovely gift. I loved Japan and would like to return some day - found it very peaceful/gentle feeling compared to the more chaotic life around here!

    You sound busy as always dear Lorrie - glad you had good weather during your spring break time. Garden chores run rampant (like strawberry runners!) with spring burgeoning all around. Good to put the coffee bags to such good use.

    We've just had three nights below freezing and are praying the plants aren't damaged - warming up as of today with the sun back thankfully ----------- and the new HVAC system will be completed today also, it was cold in the house the past couple of nights with only space heaters running!
    Mary x

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  15. Birthday blessings for your grandson, enjoyed your photos, the coffee sacks are great coverings, like you I am enjoying the seasonal tastebud changes! I am also looking forward to fresh veggie from our summer garden, for now fresh spring onions and lettuce will do.
    have a great week,
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  16. I loving your spring feel here with beauty in the garden and yummy food too. How fun to take your grandson on a special adventure. I am thinking I would like to do that with mine this year. I love your new owl bell and imagining the sounds of it in the garden. What a lovely gift.

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  17. Lorrie, your flowers are just beautiful. Happy celebrating for your grandson. We have no flowers yet, but a nearby golf course has crocus up!

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  18. Sheet pan dinners...how interesting and it looks yummy! Love the go cart pic and the flowers. It's warm here and I actually sneezed when I started writing this! lol But it's not too bad right now...the pollen that is. It's nice to be able to get out any time and enjoy the nice weather. Hugs!

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  19. Temps reached high 80s today so Spring will soon be coming to an end as summer heat sets in. Love that owl bell. A friend was just in Japan for a week and a half and fell in love with everything there. She and her husband are in South Korea now for a week before returning to Kuwait. Hard to believe it's April. Sure seems like March went by mighty fast.

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  20. I need to plant some muscari - I love it. Your owl bell is so darling! Poor Felix. Its hard to be small. Your sheet dinner looks great! I'll need to put that on my list for this next week.

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  21. Gorgeous images of spring! I got a little chuckle our of the helmet thing too...thanks for the explanation...I couldn't quite figure out what that was across his little face...lol! And your sheet pan meal looks absolutely scrumptious! Enjoy the rest of your week.

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  22. Lorrie,love the idea of a bell for the garden.How fun for Felix to have his first go-kart ride with daddy and grandpa, and they enjoying the opportunity.

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  23. Your cowbell is a hoot!

    I was pleasantly suprised to see some green shoots in my garden already. Spring is coming...

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  24. Lorrie, I can't pick a favorite photo today--all great! Your terraced raised beds look delightful. I have limited myself to one small raised bed this year and am maximizing it--will be planting two heavy-bearing indeterminate tomatoes and herbs. My husband stacked two of the boxes together, making one 2-feet high--and I am loving it.

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  25. OH my the sausage dish looks wonderful!
    April here in Vermont near Lake Champlain has been perfect early spring, sunny and chilly. No matter, I've started putting away as much winter clothes as I dare. :)

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  26. Wonderful images. Love one sheet pan meals. Yours sounded real good. All our snow has melted and that's revealing all that needs to be done.

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  27. Spring is springing here too, although it was a little chilly today. Daffodils and forsythia are blooming in our yard and the camellia bush is full of blooms! It is so refreshing to see color!

    Your sheet pan meal looks yummy. I love the photo of your hubby and grandson sharing the go-cart. I can't believe Felix is five already! Candles for coziness are just right. :)

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  28. Spring has been rather slow here. Still chilly and today rainy. I have a few tulips just coming up. So I enjoy seeing your pretty photos. :) Kit

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  29. Today is 70 and sunny. This weather is not predicted to last. Our windows are open. Baseball is on the TV. We were NOT cold at the Barn this morning. First time since...oh Halloween!!

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  30. Such lovely photographs all through your post.
    I do like your cute owl bell.
    Your sheet pan meal looks delicious.
    I just love the go-cart photograph.

    All the best Jan

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